


Pieces on a Chessboard

by Immortalnite



Category: Sanders Sides, Sanders Sides (Web Series), Thomas Sanders, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Fantasy, M/M, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-04-21 18:27:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14290782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Immortalnite/pseuds/Immortalnite
Summary: Roman and Virgil are the High Princes of the White and Black Kingdoms, respectively. They've never spoken to each other before, and they don't want to. The Dragon Witch doesn't really leave them with much of a choice, though.summaries are really fucking hard send help





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A weird hybrid between traditional high fantasy, dungeons & dragons, and avatar the last airbender. There's dragons and it's loosely based on a dream I had idfk. There'll be a plot and a plan for this eventually

In the ancient land of Sanders, every person has a power. From the lowest of beggars to the High Princes, every single person is blessed with some ability. For them, the wild elements are not unknowable forces, but gifts. No one knows how the power came to the land, only that it now saturates every part of life in Sanders. 

It isn’t uncommon to stroll through the countryside, watching the farmers stand at the edges of their fields, pooling their strength and will to command the earth to till itself. Those who can control earth are strong people, dependable, respectable and their birth is always celebrated. For some it is weak, their ability no more than the strength to command loose soil into piles. For others, they can split the earth with a though or command metal into shapes of impossible beauty with a word. 

In the colour-splashed ports of the southern White Kingdom, the ships cast off from the deck under the command of those who know the language of the sea. Persistent and unrelenting, children born with blue eyes are precious, no matter if their ability is only to raise water from a well. If they do have the power to command a ship to the ocean, or to call rain to a parched field of wheat, then they are all the more lucky to have. 

Nearly as common as the brown-eyed children of the earth are those like the High Prince of the White Kingdom, Roman, who’s eyes crackle with fire. Though none can claim the immense power to warm a winter night across an entire kingdom, or to destroy an invading army with a single burning roar like a dragon as the High Prince Roman can, many still can plunge their hands into the belly of a furnace without fear to delicately craft weapons or to retrieve baking pies. Those with red irises are warm, loving people, and they are celebrated, though it is well known that they tend towards mischievousness. 

Finally, there are the children born of the last element. Little is known about those given power over the wind, for there are so few. Some children appeared to have exhibited no ability at all, while others held vast reserves of destructive power that could flatten entire villages in a single breath. It is unknown if any currently exist today, though it is rumoured that the secretive High Prince of the Black Kingdom, a land ice-locked in the frozen north, is a powerful man with vibrant purple eyes.


	2. Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little longer than the prologue, now with actual plot and a guest appearance from Remy!

“But she won’t accept it, no matter what more he offers, it’s completely ridiculous. A fine dowry, and she turns it down every time! You have to make her see reaso-”

Roman held up his hand and the farmer shut his mouth quickly, ending the ridiculous story. “Have you tried asking your daughter who she wants to marry?”

“No. Why would I do that?” The farmer’s worn face showed a mixture of confusion and surprise.

“It is her right to choose who she marries, and if she’s consistently refusing the arranged marriage you’re pushing on her, she’s probably got a good reason.” Roman smiled kindly at the man despite the headache he could feel forming. “You wouldn’t want your daughter to spend her life married to a man she didn’t feel comfortable with, would you?”

Looking even more confused now, the man bowed deeply. “Yes, of course. Thank you, your majesty.”

Roman sat up in his throne, watching the man file out. He resisted the urge to glance at the clock. Nodding to the guards beside the massive doors to his throne room, he signalled for another petitioner to be allowed in.

A dirty man, wrapped in rags, limped in. All of his weight was put on a blackened tree limb fashioned into a crude cane and he gave off a pungent sulfuric odor. His beard was uneven, face blackened with soot, and Roman was gripped with a deep unease.

“My Lord, I cannot kneel before you.” The man’s voice was raspy and hoarse. “My legs are too weak to move. For days I have tried to get in to bring you my message, but no one recognised me among the guard. I apologise for taking so long, but it was all I could do.”

From inside the man’s robes, he pulled a twisted piece of metal. At first, Roman couldn’t tell what it was meant to be. But as the man turned it, a growing sense of foreboding sank in the pit of Roman’s gut.

Knowing the man would not be able to climb the steps to his throne, Roman rose and descended towards him. The man managed a weak salute when he approached, allowing Roman to take the twisted bit of copper from his hand.

It had once been a flat disk, but now it appeared melted and blown on one side, as if Roman himself had breathed fire across it’s surface. There was no mistaking the crest of the royal guard, however warped it might be. And there was no mistaking the culprit, either. There was only one being in the realm, besides himself, who was powerful enough to breathe fire like this.

“Close the gates, I will hear no more petitioners today. Please fetch my advisor.” Roman spoke quietly to the guards at the door. They nodded, confused, but did as they were told, leaving him alone with the man.

“You were part of the squad I sent out to investigate  _her_ , weren’t you?” Roman asked gently.

The man nodded, shifting rags aside until Roman could see the scorches remains of a guard’s uniform underneath. “I am the only survivor.”

“How? Surely there were other children of fire with you? Surely she could not harm them?”

The man winced at that, his eyes darting away for a moment and Roman knew he had touched on a painful memory there. “My lord, it seems that your protection from fire is only as powerful as your gift.” 

It took Roman a moment to let the implications of that sink in. “I see. You are dismissed. Find the doctor, she will make sure you are seen to properly.” 

Roman dismissed the guard and slipped through the curtain that hung behind his throne. The small door in the back corner opened and his adviser slipped out. 

“Roman? You summoned me?” 

“Yes, Remy.” Roman motioned him over, pressing the melted medallion into his hand. Remy’s eyes widened as he realised what it was. “She’s growing in power.”

“What can we do?” Remy turned it over in his hand, examining each side closely. “Can’t some of the guards withstand her fire?”

Roman shook his head, repeating the survivor’s words. “If he is correct, I am the only one strong enough to bear it. No one else has as much power as I do, so if she is able to be beaten, it must be by me.”

Remy was quiet for some time. “What if you cannot? What will we do then? We know nothing about where she came from, if she was summoned, if others like her can be summoned, and we would be left with no ruler.” 

“I must try. These lands…” Roman broke off, unable to find words to express the deep possessive, fond loyalty he felt for the land and the people. “These lands are mine. I am no prince if I do not try.”

“If she was summoned, it wasn’t by any power in my kingdom.” He began to pace, eyes wandering up and down the velvet curtain that hid the rest of his throne room from view. “I’ll go north. I’ll disguise myself as a bard and I’ll go north. As powerful as I am, it stands to reason the High Prince of the Black Kingdom would be equally so. And if I have the power to withstand her, he may have the power to have summoned her. He’s got to know the answer.”

“Or you could DIE.” Remy threw his hands up. “This is literally the most dangerous thing, ever, what are we going to do if you die, what about this strikes you as a good idea?”

Roman stopped pacing abruptly, spinning on his heel to face his adviser and friend. “Of course, you’re right. What  _will_ the kingdom do if I die? Brilliant.” 

He rushed forward, grabbing Remy’s shoulders and kissing him firmly on the cheek. “Remy, you’re in charge until I get back! I’ll get an official notice saying so sent down to you! I have to go pack for my journey! Next time you see me, I will have slain the Dragon Witch!” 

Leaving his dumbfounded adviser there, Roman ran off to his room to prepare.

 

The horses in the stables were all quiet that day when Roman finally left the palace to begin his journey. He chose a pure white mare, of course, and one of the simpler saddles lying around. She was patient and waited calmly for him to collect his bags into the pouches on her saddle and get on. With a quick click of teeth, they were off. 

It was exhilarating, Roman thought, to be able to ride through his own city, his own capital, and have no one recognise him. In plain brown trousers, plain black boots and a plain white shirt, he looked totally different from the richly clad High Prince Roman. Still, people got out of his way, so he figured he must have something of a regal air about himself, even disguised. 

When he finally got out of the cramped city and onto the hard-packed dirt road, his mare moved up to a brisk canter. Roman pulled a map out and braced it against the reins, checking where he was. There was only one large town that lay directly on the road connecting the two capitols, but Roman couldn’t tell how far he was from it. Glancing up at the sun overhead, Roman shrugged. He’d just keep riding and see how much progress he could make. 

After several hours, just as the sky began to darken, Roman finally spotted a tower in the distance. He pushed his mare a little harder, up to a gallop from the steady pace they’d been going at the whole day. The tower grew and chimneys joined it above the trees. Eventually, the expanses of farmland ended in farm houses and a small market place, tavern and stable. When he pulled up to the stable, he found a man in a light blue shirt and soft grey pants brushing a few horses inside. 

“My good sir, would you be so kind as to stable my horse for the night?” Roman swung himself down, bowing to the startled man. 

The stablemaster inspected him with curious brown eyes, a small smile growing on his face. 

“I do have money, I promise I can pay?” Roman offered after a minute, confused at his silence. He pulled a few gold coins out from his pouch, offering them up for inspection. At this, the stablemaster threw back his head and laughed. 

“There’s no need for that, your majesty. I’d be thrilled to stable your horse for the night. If you’re in need of it, I have an extra bed in my house.” The man regarded him with amusement.

Roman sputtered for a moment. “I beg your pardon, you must have me mistaken for someone else. I am not royalty.”

“Of course, your lordship.” The man winked. “I’m sure it’s mere coincidence that you ride in on the finest horse I’ve seen in a while, speak like high-born nobility, offer me more gold than many a farmer sees in their entire life and look exactly like the High Prince Roman. Just chance.” 

Roman was frozen for a moment, then sighed. “I did not realise I would be so… obvious.”

The man gave him a bright smile. “It’s ok! I won’t tell anyone you’re here, anyway. My lord.” 

“This is harder than I thought it would be.” Roman sighed deeply. “Don’t do that ‘my lord’ stuff, though, you can just call me Roman.”

The man winked again and turned to leave the stables, motioning for Roman to follow him. “Okie! I’m Patton.” 

Patton lead him back to his house, opening the door for Roman. Patton’s house was simple, with clean wooden floors and little potted plants at the windows. The main room was bright and open, with a kitchen and a few skylights letting in sunbeams. There was a bathroom and then two other rooms. The skylights shed a gentle orange glow across the floor. 

“Do you want any dinner before bed?” Patton offered. “I already ate but I’d be happy to throw something together for you.” 

Roman shook his head. “No, you’ve done quite enough for me already.”

“I’ll see you in the morning, then. I have a spare bedroom right through that door.” Patton pointed Roman into the extra room with a smile. Roman thanked him gratefully and, after taking off his boots and setting his bag down, sank into the huge, soft bed for a deep sleep. 

 

The next morning, Roman was awakened by the smell of pancakes. Stumbling blearily out to the kitchen, he found Patton humming by the stove, a plate full of them on the counter. 

“Morning, Roman!” Patton beamed. “How’d you sleep?” 

“I slept great.” Roman stretched, yawning. “Fantastic, actually.” 

“I’m so glad! Pancakes?” Patton pointed his spatula at an empty plate. “Help yourself to however many you’d like.” 

Roman slid a few over onto a plate and went to the bar, setting them down and digging in while Patton made a few more for himself. 

“So, do you live alone?” Roman asked. 

Patton nodded absent-mindedly. “Yeah, I don’t work in the fields much except right before planting season, so I’ve got this big house far from the fields all to myself. I till all of the fields at once and I dig any new wells that we need all by myself at the start of every planting season, then I don’t have to work after that!” Patton laughed. “I still help out here and there, of course. Even if I don’t  _have_  to work, it gets boring having nothing to do.”

Roman cocked his head and swallowed a bite of pancake. “Why do you have an extra room, then? And with such a big bed? Not that I’m complaining, of course.” He added hastily. 

Patton paused, a frown appearing on his face. “I… don’t remember. I think I used to live with people? I think I had a family once.” 

“Ah.” Roman looked down. “I am sorry. I did not mean to stir painful memories.”

“It’s alright. Like I said, I can’t remember what happened to them.” Patton looked distant. “Maybe it’s not sad, after all.”

They sat and ate in silence for a while. When Roman finished his plate, Patton smiled and took it from him, placing it in the sink with his own. 

“So, my prince,” Patton began in a teasing tone. “What great adventures are you off to?”

Roman grimaced. “It’s hardly a great adventure, my friend. Surely you’ve heard of the Dragon Witch?”

Patton’s wince at the name said he had. 

“I’m headed north to seek the High Prince of the Black Kingdom and find out what he knows.” Roman’s mouth was set in a grim line. “I need to defeat her before she burns any more villages or kills any more people, and I have reason to think he may have been behind her appearance.”

Patton was silent for a moment, then spoke. “I’m coming with you. The High Prince in the north is not the man you believe him to be, he is a delicate creature of the dark and air, not one of flame and misery like the Dragon Witch. Still, I cannot let people die knowing I can help.” With a firm nod to himself, Patton stood. 

Roman gaped for a moment. “Patton, you cannot! I can withstand her flame, but I cannot protect you. Your life will be in great danger if you come with me.” 

Patton smiled and went to his room, leaving Roman to follow him and watch helplessly as the man began to pack. “Roman, I can till every field in this land in the blink of an eye. I can move the earth with such force it shakes towers to rubble. I can shatter mountains and sheer stone faces faster than dynamite. I am as powerful as you are, and I  _am_  coming.”

Patton spoke with such power that, for a moment, Roman forgot that he was a full grown Prince and not a child being scolded. 

“Now,” Patton said, turning back to him, “Let us go saddle our horses and be on our way. We have quite the ride ahead of us before we reach the Howling Castle.”


	3. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First person to find the Disney reference in this I'll answer any question you have about this AU
> 
> or in general I'm not picky I guess

The first thing Virgil noticed when his feet touched down on the dark stone balcony of the library was the ice on the glass doors. Reaching out a hand, he tried to brush it away, hopeful that it was only on the outside. To his dismay, it was not.

Sighing, he opened the door, wincing as the ice coating the inside cracked. The air inside was as cold as outside.

“Logan?” There was no reply.

Virgil stepped inside, ice crystals crunching under his boots. The candles were still lit on the walls, but they did nothing to warm the room. He crept forward, towards the desk that he knew his advisor and best friend often used. Sure enough, he could make out the hunched form of Logan in the dim light.

Logan didn’t stir as he approached, too engrossed in his book. On the right side of the desk, his hand idly traced patterns, oblivious to the hoarfrost that followed his finger on the wood. Virgil put a hand on his shoulder and he started.

“Hey, Lo. You’re doing it again.”

Logan looked up, blinking a few times until his eyes focused on Virgil. He looked down at the desk and the hoarfrost, then around at the room, taking in the fine layer of ice crystals that lay on everything, refracting the candle light.

“I- yes. Sorry.” Logan readjusted his glasses and gave Virgil a rueful smile. “I got lost in my reading.”

The air in the room was already beginning to warm now that Logan had regained control. With a flick of his finger, Virgil opened the doors to the balcony and gently blew the ice crystals off the shelves and into the howling wind outside.

“Did you find anything?” Virgil glanced at the open book but, as always, the letters seemed fuzzy and out of focus.

Logan shook his head and removed his glasses, setting them on the table to rub his temples. “Nothing. I cannot find a single book that mentions anything concrete on the Dragon Witch, only vague hints of some curse. It’s as if I’ve only got the second book in a series.”

Virgil frowned. “Should we send a raven to the White Kingdom? Perhaps they have the missing book.”

“No.” Logan snapped. At Virgil’s surprised expression he sighed. “I’m sorry, I’m just on edge right now. No, the High Prince of the South is a frivolous man, he would sooner party than work. But you know this.”

“I’ve heard he’s sent out troops to fight her, though. We need all the help we can get.” Virgil shrugged.

Logan shook his head. “Every person he sent was burnt to a crisp, along with another border town. They know nothing.”

“Then we have to do something!” Virgil spun on his heel. “I cannot let people die! Southerner or Northerner, it is my job to protect!”

“You can do nothing to help if you know nothing!” Logan spat.

“And what? You, sitting up here in your tower, researching fruitlessly, looking for answers to questions you can’t even remember, is going to help?” Virgil threw out his arms. “I want to do something, Logan, not just wait for to you to come up with some information we probably dont even have.”

“Then feel free, my prince,” Logan snarled. “To go throw yourself into danger without my help.”

“At least I’ll have done something!” Virgil marched back to the balcony, throwing himself into the open air. He let the wind rip him away, shooting him far up into the cavern, up to land on the highest tower of his castle.

His boots gripped the slick ice-coated roof with ease and Virgil wrapped his dark cloak around himself more securely. His hair whipped around his face with a vengence and slowly, Virgil felt his anger at his friend fade. He knew he shouldn’t have lost his temper like that. Logan was just trying to help, after all. Even if they didn’t agree, his intentions had been good, and Logan was the only real family he had.

He took in a deep breath and tilted his face back, looking up. His castle was fitted in the space between two massive glaciers, so close to the walls in some places that Virgil could barely slip through himself. It created the perfect atmosphere for him, after all. In such close quarters, the wind was constantly blowing at gale force, the moaning sound it made giving the castle it’s name. That was fine with Virgil, his subjects knew they had nothing to fear.

Sighing, Virgil opened his eyes and looked down at his castle. To his surprise, there were two moving dots coming up the icy road to his front doors. That was unusual, to say the least. Visitors never came to the Howling Castle.

Virgil waited until they were close enough, then shoved off the edge of the roof with his boot, yanking the hood of his cloak down to cover his eyes as he did. He touched down in front of the two strangers as softly as if he had taken only a single step. With a flick of his fingers, he opened the doors to his great hall. Strange or not, Virgil would not deny guests entry.

The horse’s hooves rang on the stone floor of the hall, and Virgil could not contain a small smirk when he heard the little gasps of amazement. He knew his hall was amazing. Black stone floors, white marble walls and a roof of pure, clear ice, imperfect so it refracted the light and cast the room into dancing stars.

When he reached the middle of the hall, Virgil turned and planted himself firmly in the center. The two visitors pulled their horses up several feet back from him.

“Who are you and what is your buisness here?” Virgil’s voice, low and dark, echoed in the rafters. He didn’t bother to call for Logan, knowing the vibrations through the ice would reach him.

The first stranger, astride a white horse, dismounted. Despite the weather, he wore only a thin shirt, unlike his partner’s cloak. When his boots touched the ground, the stone steamed.

“We’ve come from the Southern Kingdom. Might we speak to your High Prince?” The second stranger let the first one help him down from his own horse, a tall bay.  “You have a lovely castle, by the way.”

“Not what I asked, but thank you.” Virgil watched them warily, making sure he kept the hem of his hood across his face. “So, again I ask, who are you and what is your buisness.”

“He’s the High Prince Roman, and I imagine he’s come to ask your help. I would ask if you sent for him, but I know you haven’t had the time.” Logan’s voice cut off whatever the stranger had been about to say. Logan’s heels rapped sharply on the stone as he stepped out of the hidden staircase and walked down the length of the hall. He stepped around Virgil, though the squeeze he gave Virgil’s shoulder said enough.

“So, my lord, am I correct?”

The first stranger- High Prince Roman- gave a guilty start at Logan’s words. His companion giggled and elbowed him. “It’s just Roman, but yes.”

“I’m Patton.” The other man offered cheerfully.

“Interesting.” Logan said coldly. “You know, our gate alerts us when people come in. I received no notification. How did you get in?”

Roman gave another guilty start and Patton started laughing. “There was a gate?”

“There was a gate.” Logan confirmed. “Did you fly over it?”

“I, uh, may have melted a hole in it.”

Virgil now had to stifle a laugh. Logan was fiercely proud of that ice wall.

“You melted a hole?” Logan’s voice was frigid. He started walking towards the prince, a rapier of ice starting to form in his hand. “Interesting. You know there are very few people who can melt a hole in that wall.”

The rapier was in Logan’s hand before Virgil could say anything. A katana seemed to materialise in Roman’s hand in response. There was a blur of motion, a ring of metal on ice, and then Virgil stumbled back as a massive sheet of rock erupted in the middle of the floor between the two.

Patton looked up from his crouch on the floor with a rueful smile. “Sorry about the floor.”

Virgil glanced at Logan, making sure that he wasn’t hurt. “It’s alright, Logan. He’s not the Dragon Witch.”

“Not the Dragon Witch?” Roman sputtered. “Of course I’m not! She can’t shapeshift!”

“And how do we know that?” Logan replied testily.

Virgil held up a hand. “Enough. Roman, Patton, I apologise for the less than warm reception you have received. May try our introductions again?”

With minimal hesitation, Roman put away his sword and bowed. “Of course. I am Roman, High Prince of the White Kingdom. This is my friend, Patton. We are here to seek your help in the battle against the Dragon Witch.”

Virgil bowed back. “And I am-”

“NO!” Logan’s yell cut him off.

Placing his hands flat against the stone slab that separated him from Roman, Logan braced himself. Ice coated the rock, slipping into every crack and crevice, freezing and expanding. With a horrible grinding sound, the rock shattered and Logan threw himself at Roman. Roman’s mouth opened in surprise, then anger.

Faster than he could think, Virgil launched across the room, catching Logan around the waist. A jet of fire roared past his ear and Virgil reached out and  _grabbed._

The room went silent, ringing in his ears. The fire died out and Roman gagged, clutching at his throat. Virgil felt his brain buzz with the pressure of the air he had pulled. Cradling Logan against his chest, Virgil collapsed and the air came rushing back in.

Roman flew back a couple feet, landing roughly. Patton stumbled but didn’t fall and Logan looked more than a little green. Virgil stood back up, letting his hood fall off, and pulled Logan to his feet. He wobbled a little, but steadied himself.

“Roman, Patton, I am terribly sorry about all of this.” Virgil said with more authority than he felt. “I am Virgil, High Prince of the Black Kingdom. I hope you will forgive my friend, Logan, his behaviour.”

Roman looked, well, winded, but he nodded nonetheless. “I, too, am sorry for fighting.”

Virgil turned to Logan, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Logan, you will apologise.”

“I cannot, yet.” Logan shook his head. “If he is truly the High Prince Roman, why did he not simply send a raven as usual? Why did he not recognise you?”

“What? Our kingdoms have never corresponded. There have been no ravens and I have never met this man.” Virgil frowned.

“I have written letters myself to the White Kingdom and sent them by raven.” Logan insisted.

“Are you sure that was with Roman and I, though?” Virgil pressed. “You were at this castle long before I came, perhaps you corresponded with the previous king?”

“I- I don’t know. Maybe?” Logan looked confused now. “I can’t remember.”

Knowing that Roman and Patton had been listening in to all of this, Virgil stepped aside and gestured to them.

Logan gave him a long look, then nodded. “I apologise for my behaviour. It was out of line.”

“Apology accepted.” Roman smiled graciously.

Virgil let out a soft sigh and looked up at his roof. In between all of the fights, it had gotten late.

“Perhaps we could discuss the Witch tomorrow?” Patton approached then.

“Yes.” Virgil nodded in agreement. “Yes, Logan if you would be so kind as to take Patton to the west guest room. I will take Roman to the east. We can discuss everything over breakfast tomorrow.”

Logan nodded, looking torn for a moment, but then he turned to Patton and offered his arm. Patton accepted and they went off.

Virgil watched them for a moment, then began to silently lead Roman to his own room. He took them through the great hall and into the dining room, ducking through the kitchen door in what he knew was the quickest way to the east guest room. They passed by the twisting staircase that lead to Logan’s library and the low wooden door that lead down to the baths. When they got to the broad staircase that lead up to the guest room, Roman turned and offered a hand to Virgil.

“My code of chivalry dictates I must help all beautiful royalty up any staircases we may encounter.” He said with a flourish. Virgil flushed and scoffed.

“We’re both princes, though.” Virgil pointed out.

“Makes no difference.” Roman said grandly.

Virgil rolled his eyes. He gently removed his hand from Roman’s, though he allowed his fingertips to linger. Reaching inside his cloak, he drew out a heavy iron key ring. Choosing the third ring down, he slipped it off the metal circle and unlocked the heavy oak door before them, before handing the key to Roman. He opened the door and lead Roman into the room.

There was a little sound of amazement from the man behind him and Virgil smirked. The room was amazing, he knew. The furnishings all matched the grand four poster bed that was the centerpiece of the room. Dark wood, with a violet mesh canopy that hung over matching pillows and a black duvet with silver roses embroidered across it. The fireplace across from it was unlit, but as Virgil watched, Roman changed that. Roman’s eyes seemed to mirror the fire in the sudden light. Or perhaps the fire mirrored his eyes.

Virgil looked away then, embarrassed to have been staring. “I will leave you then, please make yourself comfortable.” He strode out to the balcony, opening the doors.

“I’ll go to my own room now, you can lock these doors behind me.” Virgil gave him a smirk over his shoulder. “If you need me, just come out here and shout.”

Roman followed him out onto the balcony, blinking a little at the wind. “You’re going to go to your room?” The man asked in confusion.

Virgil stepped out to lean against the balcony rail, spinning so his back was against it. He pointed up at the tallest tower, the one he’d been perched on earlier, where a black stone door hung out into the open air.

“That’s your room? How are you going to get there from here? How do you get there at all?” Roman came to stand next to Virgil so he could look up at the door.

Virgil turned to look at the prince’s upturned face.

“I’m going to fly, of course.”

With that, Virgil pushed off the balcony, letting the air take him up again. If he had chosen to look back as he flew up to his door, he would have seen Roman staring after him in wonder.

  



	4. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess which fucker I'm about to drop in on y'all soon?

Roman woke up cold. That was definitely a new experience for him. It seemed the fire had gone out during the night, and a chill had crept in. He fixed that with a snap of his fingers, setting the fireplace ablaze again, and thought that the cold really wasn’t for him. 

Sitting up in his plush bed, he stretched and yawned. As beautiful as his room was, Roman decided quickly that the howling gale outside his window was a inadequate replacement for morning birdsong, and that even the frozen loveliness of morning light through ice crystals was a poor substitute for the sun rising up over the sparkling blue waters of the Sanders Sea. 

He swung his feet over the side of his bed, wincing at the cold stone, and quickly put his boots on. He opened his door and went down the stairs, hoping that he was remembering the path to the kitchen correctly. As he got closer to where he thought it was, the delicious smell of cooking food told him he was on the right track. He pushed open the door slowly, not wanting to startle whoever was making food. 

Inside, Patton and Virgil were bent over a large bowl, and Patton seemed to be showing Virgil how to make muffins. 

“So now, you want to stir in the blueberries, just like we did with the raspberries and blackberries. You don’t have to be quite as careful, blueberries won’t pop as easily as the other two.” Patton handed the spoon to Virgil then, who took it and began stirring, glancing up at Patton every so often for approval.

After a few minutes, Patton took the bowl from Virgil gently. “Perfect.”

Roman watched the two pour the batter into muffin pans that sat beside a great stove.

“Now we just need to bake them, right?” Virgil asked. 

“Yeah...” Patton looked up and spotted Roman, his face brightening. “Roman, great timing! Would you be so kind as to fire up this stove for us?”

At his name, Virgil startled and looked away. Roman felt his own face heat up. 

“Of course!” Roman fumbled for a minute, then stepped into the kitchen fully, closing the door behind him. He picked the trays of muffins up, setting them on the rack inside the stone dome. The air inside began to warm up quickly, making Patton and Virgil step back. Roman withdrew his hands and stepped back, shutting the door. He kept a hand on the outside of the oven, pushing his power into the space. After a few moments he stepped back. “I think that’s hot enough?” 

Patton glanced at him and shrugged. “I’ll check in a few minutes, seems right to me, though.”

With a little smile, Patton lead them to the big table in the middle of the room, sitting down in one of the chairs. Roman took the seat next to him and Virgil moved to sit across from them. Just as Roman’s back hit the chair, the door to the kitchen opened again and the man from the day before, the one who’d attacked him, stumbled in. Vaguely, Roman recalled that his name was Logan. 

Logan looked half awake at best as he plunked himself down next to Virgil. Incredibly, as Roman watched, the table under Logan’s tired arms began to ice. He must have let out a little gasp, because Virgil took notice and elbowed the man. 

“Lo, watch out.”

Logan stared sleepily down at the table and murmured an apology, attempting to rub the ice away with blue finger tips. 

“Is he alright?” Roman asked quietly. 

Virgil coughed to hide a laugh. “Logan just has a very powerful gift and it’s a bit more obvious with him than with the rest of us.”

Roman frowned. “Bit more obvious? It just looks like he’s not in control of it.”

“Excuse me?” Logan, despite his sleepiness, was apparently still very aware of the conversation. “I am in as much control as you are. I am a child of the water, so it is attracted to me. In this climate, water freezes quite quickly. If you check yourself, you will realise that you constantly are much warmer than the rest of us.” 

Roman glanced down at his arm. He felt normal? 

Patton curiously pressed a hand to Roman’s shoulder and gasped. “Ro, he’s right. You’re like an oven yourself.” 

Giggling, Patton then proceeded to poke Roman’s arm in several other places. “I guess you could say you’re just  _smoking hot_.”

Everyone groaned.

“Logan is right, of course. It’s not just you and him, either.” Virgil said, smirking at Roman. “I’ve noticed how loose stones always appear around Patton’s feet, and my hair never sits still.” 

Roman raised his eyebrows, glancing underneath the table. Sure enough, Patton was absently rolling a pebble under the toe of his foot. He looked almost surprised to see himself doing it. “Huh.”

Leaning over the table, Roman stared at Virgil’s hair then. Virgil flushed slightly under the scrutiny, but once again he proved correct. The wispy ends of Virgil’s hair were indeed floating slightly, occasionally lifting as if caught by a breeze. Roman found himself staring, struck with a strange desire to reach out and stroke the soft purple bangs. 

The sound of Patton’s chair scraping back jerked him out of the trance. “The muffins!”

“Oh! Yes.” Roman stood up too, feeling his face grow warm(er). He pushed his chair in and opened the oven door. The pan felt only slightly heated to him, though he knew it must be burning hot. When he pulled them out, the muffins were a lovely golden colour and smelled like heaven. He set the trays out on the stone table. “They turned out great, guys.”

Logan reached out with a blue-tinged finger and touched the metal, making it squeal, before Patton waved him off. “You’re gonna warp the metal!” 

Logan snatched his hand back, an affronted look on his face like a scolded cat. 

“You’ve got to wait until they’re cooled.” Patton gently chided him. 

“I can blow on them?” Virgil asked tentatively.

Roman found himself smiling as he watched them interact, a glowing feeling in his chest. Was this what it’s like to have a family? Like the one Patton had at some point? Roman had a strange ache in his chest. He missed Remy. 

Roman wasn’t sure how long he sat like that, staring at his lap, wishing for something he couldn’t remember ever having had, but when he looked back up, the muffins had cooled enough to eat. Virgil had blackberry juice on the corner of his mouth, Patton was licking raspberry bits off his fingers and Logan was primly finishing off the last of the blueberry muffins. Roman quickly grabbed up a raspberry muffin.

“So.” Logan swallowed and brushed an imaginary crumb off his sleeve. “Shall we talk business now?”

The cheery mood of breakfast melted away at those words.

"I would attempt to convince you otherwise, but I know that will simply not happen, which leaves me with no choice but to assist.” Logan paused and shared a look with Virgil. “Tell me what you know about the Dragon Witch, and I will attempt to fill in the blanks.”

Roman met Logan’s icy blue eyes and nodded, the muffin sitting heavy in his stomach. “I know precious little about her. She attacks and burns the houses and towns that border our two kingdoms, but she does so unpredictably. I’ve sent troops to confront her when news is received of another attack. Occasionally they arrive in time, but more often she is long gone by the time they get to the town. The few times my men have met her have ended in death. Her fire is as powerful as mine, at least, and it has overcome every other child of fire she’s met.” Roman paused and inhaled deeply. “We think I may be the only one able to withstand it.”

Logan listened patiently to this and nodded. “I have had no such direct experience, but the books I have consulted implicate a curse. I believe that she may have been called to our land by something. If we can find that, I believe it may give us answer to many of our questions.” He and Virgil shared another look. 

“Do you know who we could go to?” Patton interjected. 

Logan frowned at this, and Roman shook his head in agreement. “No, we haven’t an idea.”

“What if I do?”

All heads turned to look at Patton. 

“Where?” Virgil’s voice was grave. 

“There is a cave, out in the farmlands where my house is. No one knows exactly who lives in it, but no one will approach it either. Nothing grows around it except disfigured yellow weeds.” Patton hesitated. “And snakes. Lots of snakes. The children say a giant snake lives in the cave, but I don’t think that’s strictly true. I think it’s just a man. There’s something undoubtedly dark around the area, though. If you want information on the Dragon Witch, the man in that cave will know.” 

There was silence for a moment, then Roman slapped his hands down on the table. “It’s settled then. Let’s ride for this cave. It took Patton and I a little over one day to get here, so we could probably make it by afternoon tomorrow.”

Logan and Virgil locked eyes and nodded in tandem. 

“We will change into riding clothes and gather some provisions.” Logan stood up, offering a hand to Virgil to help him up. That sat ill with Roman. “We will reconvene with you in an hour in the great hall, if that is satisfactory?”

“Works for me.” Patton stood up as well and Roman joined them. 

“See you shortly, then.”

Roman grabbed one of the remaining muffins and followed Logan and Patton to the door, pausing to watch Virgil open the balcony doors in preparation for flight. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to the amazing sight of him flinging himself into the open air. 

When Roman got back to his room, he had very little packing up to do aside from his sword, so he went out to the balcony. Snow swirled in the wind, melting against his skin. He knew it was cold, but he hardly felt it. The sunlight, still fresh in the morning, slipped in between the cracks where the glaciers that surrounded the castle parted. The icicles that hung from the shelves and many balconies of the Howling Castle were clear as glass and the sunlight shone rainbows through them, casting the entire cave into vibrant colour. 

Roman turned his gaze towards the highest tower, the door that hung out into open air. Virgil’s door. It was still, shut against the blustering air. He felt something in his chest sink a little bit. Then, the door swung open and a lithe figure that could only be Virgil came flying out, this time without his usual cloak. It was hard to tell because of the distance, but Roman suspected the bundle clutched to the dark prince’s chest included the mantle. Without the heavy fabric, Virgil looked so small against the glaciers. 

He watched the man fly through the air, relaxed and calm, seeming to let the wind cradle him. He was beautiful, Roman thought. Beautiful and precious. A thought came to him then, something Virgil had said last night. 

“ _If you need me, just come out here and shout. I’ll hear you.”_

Tentatively, Roman looked up at the floating form. “Virgil?”

The slight man drifted out of sight after a few moments and Roman’s heart sank. He sighed and leant back against the balcony rails, resting his elbows on the stone ledge. He kept watching the door and the roofline, hoping that maybe the man would return. 

“What’s up?”

Roman jumped and let out a decidedly unmanly shriek. He spun to face Virgil, who was floating gently a few feet away from the balcony. Virgil was smirking at him. 

“I- uh.” Roman felt his face heat up. “I didn’t think you’d hear that.”

“I told you that I’d hear you if you called me. Are you all finished with packing?” Virgil reached out to grab the rail and swung himself over it lightly to land in front of Roman. Maybe a little bit too close to Roman. 

“Yes, I am finished with packing. You?” Roman fought the urge to take a step back. 

“I was just going to get the horses and bring them into the hall. Would you like to come?” As he spoke, Virgil reached between them and took Roman’s hand lightly, bringing it to chest level. Virgil raised an eyebrow. 

“Um- sure. Yes. Yes, I would like to.” Roman tightened his fingers over Virgil’s.

“Hold on.” Virgil smirked and wrapped an arm around Roman’s waist. Roman felt his feet lift off the stone and his free arm immediately went to Virgil’s shoulders. He dared a glance down after a few moments, and the sight was breath taking. Hundreds of feet below them, the same rainbow light glittered on the roof of the castle, moving fluidly like ripples on water as they flew through the air.

When he looked back up to Virgil’s face, the sight was equally amazing. His purple eyes seemed to glow, fever bright with some unidentifiable emotion. 

“Now do you see why I love it here? It may not be your warm summer palace, but it is every bit as beautiful.” Virgil’s lips were quirked in a soft smile.

“You’re beautiful.” The words were out of his mouth before he had a moment to think about them. “I- uh.”

“You’re not bad yourself.” Virgil’s smile was replaced with his trademark smirk.

Roman felt his face heat up, for the hundredth time that day. “You’re a lot more forward when it’s just the two of us.”

That wasn’t what he’d meant to say, but his mouth was apparently going on strike.

“I’m not really a people person. Not great around groups.” Virgil looked away as they touched down in front of the stables, but his hand seemed to linger around Roman’s waist. Together they entered the stables, and Roman saw the horse he’d come in on in the stall closest to the door. He went over to her and started stroking the pure white nose, murmuring to her. One stall over, Patton’s strong bay nickered and he moved to stroke his nose, also.

“We can take these two, right? I like these two.” Roman called over his shoulder.

“Of course.” Virgil came back from the end of the stables, leading a black stallion with a white starred face and a dappled mare. “Logan and I will take these two. Can you help me with taking them back to the hall?”

“Of course.” Roman mimicked. He opened the stall doors and took the reins of the two horses, following Virgil. 

The horses started at the wind once they left the stables, but Roman was able to soothe them for the short walk to the great hall. Logan and Patton were already waiting, Patton telling some animated story to Logan that involved a great deal of gesticulating. When they spotted Roman and Virgil, Patton’s face lit up.

Roman handed the reins of the bay off to Patton, swinging himself up onto his own white mare. When he looked back, Virgil was pulling his cloak over his shoulders, already atop his black stallion. Virgil nudged his animal forward, up next to Roman and they waited together for the other two to get on.

When they finally rode back out into the cold air, the horses were much calmer. Even in the wind, they didn’t falter once. When the group got to the massive jagged ice wall that surrounded the Howling Castle, Roman sheepishly noted that there was, in fact, an actual gate people could come through if they didn’t want to simply melt a hole. And a doorbell if the gate was locked. Logan politely pointed this out. 

They did stop at the wall for a few moments so Logan could repair the gaping hole and lock the gate, but they were shortly off again. 

It was a mostly quiet ride, which allowed Roman to take in the scenery. Though he’d seen it all coming in, he’d been tired and hadn’t really gotten a good look. As soon as they left the wall, they were in the village. It was sleepier than Roman’s court, and much less overwhelming. The homes were further apart, not crowded together like in Roman’s city, and there were certainly less colours. Chimneys puffed smoke into the air and the windows were all lit with orange glows, sillouhettes fuzzy behind the iced glass. A few children tumbled into snowdrifts alongside wolf pups, their red eyes wide and round with laughter. It was... quaint.

When they left the village, it was straight into the opening of a forest. The trees were dark, tall, reaching up to the sky. Snow hung heavily on the needles that surrounded the road. Every so often, they’d startle a bird and the trees would shake with the excitement of takeoff for a few minutes. More than once, Roman caught Virgil staring after the birds longingly. He felt a pang in his chest and wondered if Virgil would prefer to fly off with them, rather than stay tethered to the ground on his horse.

After the forest came the plains, and Roman watched as snow covered hills rolled into sparse flowers, then green grass. The air warmed steadily and the hills turned to pastures dotted with speckled cows and fluffy sheep that backed up to groves and ponds. 

It was in one of these groves that they made camp for the night when the sun finally began to set. They tied the horses off to a low hanging branch and Roman built up a fire. They sat and ate in silence, the weight of the canopy above and the knowledge that they were getting closer to their destination stifling conversation.

Patton was the first to sleep, curled up at the base of the tree where the horses were with his cloak drawn over him. Logan sat on a stump near the fire, having agreed to take first watch, and Virgil was in a ball at his feet. Virgil’s head was on Logan’s lap, his cloak covering the both of them. Roman lay down next to the fire across from them, face to face with the burning logs. With the light dancing on his eyelids, he fell asleep. Overhead, an owl called out mournfully.

Roman ended up taking the last watch, so he found himself watching the sunrise from the stump. Patton woke first, and together they heated up some oatmeal for breakfast. When their meal was finished, Logan doused the fire and then they were back on the horses again.

The groves and hills covered in pastures again morphed into the tilled fields and small towns that made up the borders between the White and Black Kingdoms. The main road started to branch off with other paths to the other towns, and Patton nudged his broad-chested bay to the front to lead them down one of these paths. There was a moment of hesitation before he chose, and Roman knew they were terribly close to their destination.

The road they turned onto lead away from the towns, through fields of corn. Gradually the stalks grew thinner and shorter, until they abruptly dropped away. Tilled fields became hard-packed rocky soil filled with twisted yellow weeds. Out in the brush, things rustled ominously. When Roman turned his head back to the path, he saw a low rock shelf thrust up from under the earth, creating a small hollow underneath. A sour smell like mildew hung around the rock. Patton drew his horse up, stopping the party.

“We’re here.” 


	5. Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long for me to get this up on here compared to tumblr. In my defence I had a really important concert yesterday so I was super busy. Anyway, here's the chapter!

The tunnel under the rock was much steeper than Virgil had originally thought, and he was extremely grateful for his heavy boots and their good grip. More than once already, Logan had stumbled and had to clutch at Patton to regain his balance. The typically bubbly child of earth had been unusually grave since entering the tunnel, his only words having been to warn the others of a hole or crack. He lead the way, Roman just behind him, using his hand as a torch to light the path.

So far, they’d seen hide nor hair of a mysterious man who might offer them any insight to the Dragon Witch’s defeat. They kept walking still, and Virgil would turn around every so often to look back at the fading light at the entrance. It grew fainter with each passing step.

After nearly another half hour of marching endlessly, Patton flung out a hand.

“Wait here.” He took a few steps forward, to the edge of the torchlight, and pressed a hand to the ground. He stood up, and started to search the wall to Roman’s left.

“Roman, do you trust me?” He asked suddenly, turning to look at them with pleading brown eyes.

“I- of course.” Roman looked utterly befuddled by the question. “What’s wrong?”

Patton turned and pointed to the spot on the wall he’d been examining. “There’s a small ledge there. I need you to reach in and set it alight.”

“What will happen if I do?” Roman asked, already reaching.

“Hopefully, something illuminating.”

Roman turned to glance back at Logan and Virgil and they all shrugged together. They watched his lit finger move towards the wall. The light revealed a hollow in the stone, a hollow that ran horizontally across the wall, extending out in front of him. Roman tapped the hollow and the fire from his finger caught rapidly, shooting down the track.

Ten feet out from them, where Patton had stopped before, the lit track spiraled down across the sides of a circular hole that went deep into the earth. A set of stairs ran along the sides of the hole.

“Please don’t tell me we’re going down there.” Virgil said, shifting nervously. The hole made him uneasy for reasons he couldn’t say.

“We’re going down there.” Patton gave him a sympathetic smile.

The stairs were only wide enough for one person at a time to go down them, so Patton went first, Roman right behind him. Virgil found himself at the back again as they carefully picked their way down.

After a few minutes of climbing, Patton stopped, making Roman almost run into him. Looking down at his feet, Virgil watched as Patton crumbled the next step. “It was weak. This way either hasn’t been used in a very long time, or someone is hoping to catch us.”

They carried on, but Virgil’s heart dropped in his chest that time, and every other time he lept over the empty hole where a stair had been. When they were far enough down that Virgil could finally see the end of the lit track, Logan stumbled again.

He went to grab the wall for support, but jerked his hand back at the last second because of the fire, and before Virgil’s terrified eyes, plummeted over the edge of the stairs. Virgil didn’t waste a moment. He dove off the side, ignoring Roman and Patton’s shouts. The hole was too wide and the fire was too weak for it to light enough for Virgil to see Logan as they fell, so he shut his eyes and listened to the air. Angling his body slightly, he shot towards where he knew Logan would be, colliding with an “oof”.

For a second, there was just a terrified scramble of hands, but then Logan’s arms locked around Virgil’s shoulders and he had a firm grip on his waist. Breathing a sigh of relief, Virgil slowed their descent until they were floating in the middle of the hole. With the wind no longer rushing in his ears, Virgil heard Roman and Patton’s hurried footsteps coming down to meet them. He shut his eyes and tucked his face against Logan’s shoulder, taking deep breaths as he tried to reassure himself that everyone was safe. Dimly, he realised he was crying.

Logan’s shoulders were shaking against his, so Virgil didn’t feel bad about not floating them over to meet Patton and Roman right away, instead giving them both a moment while they hung in midair to compose themselves.

“Hey, Lo?”

“Yeah?”

“Please don’t do that again.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I love you.

“I know. I love you too.”

When they did touch down, it was on a wider platform where the lit track and the stairs ended. Patton immediately grabbed up both of them into a fierce hug, and Roman quickly joined in. When they pulled away, Patton leaned in to rest his forehead against Logan’s.

Then they looked at the wall where the light ended. There was an arch of stone that lead into darkness there, beckoning. Cobwebs covered the top, and the air seemed stale. The sour smell of a dishrag left to dry in the sink hung around it.

“Shall we?” Roman offered tentatively.

Patton looked at him and nodded, though his hands were shaking.

Sucking in a deep breath, Virgil blew the webs away from the arch. It did nothing for the smell, however. Patton looked back and him and smiled unsteadily.

“I know how much you hate spiders.” Virgil offered quietly.

Patton and Roman went side by side this time, neither willing to move to the front. Occasionally Virgil would have to step up and blow away more cobwebs, but this time there were no weak steps or traps. It was quiet, too quiet.

“Stop.” Virgil spoke up suddenly. Something was off. He could feel air moving, flowing out from somewhere. In a tunnel like this one, that shouldn’t be possible.

“What’s wrong?” Roman brought his flaming hand over to Virgil, using the light to look for a sign of something being wrong. Patton frowned and started looking at their feet.

Then, there was a grinding noise and the floor gave a violent shake. Virgil stumbled, Logan and Roman colliding with him as they faltered, too. Only Patton remained upright, but he looked suddenly pale.

“What’s going on?” Roman shouted in alarm.

“Hold on… I can’t stop it.” Patton grunted.

The earth gave another tremor and Roman held his hand up higher, increasing the flame so Virgil could see what was happening. Being able to see what was happening didn’t help.

In the tunnel behind them, the stone floor was falling away in massive chunks. Ahead, a sheer rock face, impossibly smooth, blocked their way.

Another shake, and Patton groaned. “Someone’s shaking it all down… I can’t stop them, they’re too, ah, strong.”

“We’re going to fall.” Virgil realised suddenly. Quickly, he shot out an arm and grabbed onto Roman and Logan. “Grab Patton.”

They each latched onto him just as the floor beneath their feet gave way. As the rock fell, Patton sagged limply in their grip, exhausted. Virgil hoped he hadn’t passed out, but he had no time to check. Holding up a single person was one thing, holding up three others was quite another. Virgil knew he could only slow their fall, so he did as best he could. They were falling, and the darkness in the chasm below was complete. With his hands clasping at Logan and Virgil’s, Roman was unable to light the way. It was a blind leap, but they had no choice.

“Patton? Can you tell where the bottom is?” Virgil asked, his voice tight with strain. He was met with silence.

“I think he is unconsious.” Logan answered.

Virgil swore softly under his breath.

“I can hear water, I think.” Roman spoke up.

He was right. Somewhere below them, the rock chunks were splashing down into water.

“Logan?”

“Yes, he’s right.” Logan paused. “We’ll be splashing down in a few seconds, please let go of Patton and I when we do so I can support him.”

Virgil gave his hand a squeeze. The moment he heard a splash and felt the weight of Patton lessen, he let go. For a moment, Virgil hung in the air, freed of weight, and considered. But he was too tired to hold himself up for however long it might take. Virgil splashed down into the dark water, immediately feeling oddly defenceless.

“Hey, Lo. There’s not anything besides us in this water, right?”

There were a few quiet splashes. “There is not. There is a bank in that direction, though.”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “It’s pitch black. None of us know where you’re pointing.”

“Oh. Right.”

Someone sighed. “I got it.”

The cavern lit up, revealing Roman awkwardly treading water while holding one hand above the surface. Logan was off to his right, bobbing gracefully, Patton’s body floating out in front of him. He was cradling Patton’s head on his shoulder.

Virgil released a soft breath of relief. Patton’s chest was rising and falling rhythmically. And, as Roman continued to shine his light, Virgil saw the bank Logan had spoken of. With a jerk of his head, he pointed it out to Roman and they swam for the dark rock. They clambered out of the water, Virgil shivering. Now that he was out of the icy water and the adrenaline of the situation had faded, he was painfully aware of the heaviness of his cloak and the bone deep chill.

Logan lay Patton down, checking his face for signs of something, then swept a hand down the length of his body. Water streamed off, running back into the underground lake. Logan did the same to himself, then Roman and Virgil as well, before going back to fuss over Patton. Virgil shuddered at the sensation of all of the water running off him, but the cold didn’t flee with it. So he just lay there, wrapping himself in his cloak and watching Logan inspect Patton.

Roman glanced around, finding a long splinter of wood as long and thick as his arm and jabbing it, burning, into a crack in the rock. He then knealt down next to Virgil and pulled him into his arms. Normally, Virgil would hate the sudden touch, but now it was all he could do not to sink into the warmth that was Roman’s chest.

“You were shaking.” Roman murmured.

“Thank you.” Virgil found that his head fit perfectly in the space under Roman’s chin.

They sat there quietly for some time, until Logan finally got up and announced that they needed to keep moving.

“Patton said before we fell that someone was shaking the walls. I think it’s safe to assume that the man we seek is here, aware of our prescence, and powerful.” Logan lifted Patton gently, draping his arm over his shoulder. “He’s only blacked out. By my calculations, he should awaken in a few minutes.”

Roman shifted away from Virgil to stand. Virgil took his offered hand and let Roman pull him to his feet, but he silently mourned the loss of Roman’s body heat. Though, with Roman no longer shielding his body, he could once again feel that same draft of air that he’d felt before.

“I think there’s a cavern ahead?” Virgil said, looking into the darkness where the air flowed from. He tried to sense the space ahead through the air currents, but as usual it was all moving too erractically for him to get an accurate read.

Roman looked in the direction and picked up his makeshift torch, handing it to Virgil. He fashioned another from a slightly shorter splinter on the floor. He crept forward into the darkness, the flame seeming to burn brighter.

The walls closed in on Roman, until he reached a rough stone doorway. With a glance at each other, Logan shuffled after Virgil towards where Roman was. Roman looked at the wall next to him as they approached. He held up a hand to signal for them to pause, then touched a burning finger to the wall inside the doorway. Just like what had happened in the stairwell, the fire raced along a track embedded in the wall, lighting up the room. Roman sucked in a harsh breath, stepping in front of Virgil and Logan as if to protect them from something.

Looking around him, Virgil saw a massive cavern, the floor polished black and reflecting the fire. Massive stalagtites hung from the ceiling like a set of deadly fangs, dripping oily liquid. In the center of the room sat a rough imitation of a throne, hewn from a yellow rock studded with emeralds, and an equally rough man.

“By all means, keep standing in the doorway. Don’t come in!” The man said cheerily, standing and gesturing for them to enter.

Behind Virgil, the rocks grated together ominously. Roman turned to lock eyes with Virgil and by a silent agreement they stepped further into the room together, allowing Logan space to come in with Patton, but putting themselves in between the two and the stranger.

“Who are you? Why did you try to kill us?” Roman asked, his voice overly loud and echoing in the chamber.

“Wouldn’t you like to know~” the man sang, swinging himself around his throne. The heels of his tall boots squeaked across the polished stone, his coattails swung around behind him. He looked utterly unbalanced.

“Ok, we’ll try something else. What do you know about the Dragon Witch?” Roman gritted his teeth.

“Oh, I know nothing. She is my area, after all. Not yours, Roman.” The man crowed.

“How do you know him?” Virgil demanded, stepping forward again.

“He’s lying.”

Patton’s voice, weak but steady. Virgil snapped his head around to look at his friend, torn between concern and alarm.

“Everything he says is the exact opposite of what he means. He’s Deceit. He knows all of our names, because he’s always known.” Patton was still pale, but there was an odd sort of clarity about the way he looked at the stranger.

“How do you know that? What do you mean, he’s always known?” Roman’s eyes flickered between Patton’s uncannily clear ones and Logan’s, which were clouded with his own confusion.

“I… I don’t know. I just know that it’s true.” Patton was looking past Roman

“Patton wouldn’t know me.” The stranger- Deceit- mused. “I’m not his area.”

It did make sense, Virgil thought. Everything he said didn’t fit. But the exact opposite, well. It wasn’t perfectly clear, but there was something there.

“I can see you remember it all.” Deceit started again, lacksidasical. “I am the one you must face in the end, not the Dragon Witch. But only one of you can defeat her.”

“Enough of your riddles!” Roman shouted, his hands fisting as his sides. Virgil laid a hand on his arm, tugging it back.

“It’s ok.” He said quietly. “Don’t get too emotional, just listen to what he’s saying and flip it around.”

Virgil half turned to glance at Logan, who nodded in agreement. Emboldened by the confirmation that Logan had come to the same conclusion, Virgil started to recount what Deceit had said.

“He said he knows something about the Dragon Witch, and he claims that she’s your ‘area’, Roman. Whatever that means, we can also conclude that he has the same relationship to Patton that the Dragon Witch has to you. He also said that we don’t remember something.” Virgil frowned. “It’s possible that if we find the Dragon Witch, that’ll trigger Roman’s memory, just like he has for Patton. Though, Deceit said we’d need to face her in the end and we’d need to face her together. I’m not sure what will happen once we find her, but we’ve got to, all four of us.”

Roman’s arm pulled away from Virgil’s grip, and he started walking towards the throne, anger clear in every step. Virgil watched him go, tense. Roman stomped up to Deceit, and grabbed him up by the lapels of his ridiculous snakeskin coat.

“If you’re going to claim that the Dragon Witch is somehow my fault,” He spat. “Then tell me. Where. She. Is.”

Deceit just laughed, utterly relaxed despite the prince growling in his face. “When Dreams rule the kingdom, everyone but you knows where to find her.”

Roman’s sword was in his hand suddenly, and Virgil cried out, but no sooner than he could make a sound, Deceit had shoved Roman back. The ground underneath Deceit opened up and he fell, cackling. The earth then sealed over him, and all that was left of him was a jagged scar marring the otherwise smooth floor.

 

 

 

 


	6. Part 5

Roman stared at the scar on the floor, rage and confusion and some deep aching feeling akin to fear bubbling in his chest. How dare this villain, this _Deceit,_ accuse him of causing a calamity like the Dragon Witch. He couldn’t have. Right?

The room began to shake again, and Roman stumbled. One of the stalactites broke off and crashed to the floor, shattering and spraying rubble across the room. A hand closed around his arm, Patton’s hand, and yanked him into a huddle with the others as the roof began to crash down around them. Patton’s body began to shake violently between them. A massive chunk of rock cracked the ceiling and took out a part of the wall with it, plunging the room into darkness. Roman tightened his arms around the others, feeling bits of stone pelt his bowed head. In the pitch black, each upheaval of the floor seemed sudden and violent and terrifying. Something slammed into Roman’s shoulder, knocking him down.

Somewhere to his right, Patton gave a scream that turned to an anguished groan, and then there was suddenly light. So much light, Roman had to shut his eyes against it, unable to process anything. He couldn’t tell what had happened, so he lay where he had fallen for several moments, waiting for the pain to subside. When he was finally able to blink his eyes open, he was looking up at the brilliant blue sky. Patton had managed to open up a narrow rift in the earth, that ran all the way up to the surface, preventing the rocks from crushing them.

Turning his head, Roman saw Patton lying beside him, pale and totally unconscious. Fine brown dust had settled across his hair and when Roman lifted a hand to check for Patton’s pulse, he saw that he was also covered in the dust. Across from them, Virgil and Logan were looking around, both equally squinty-eyed from the sun. Roman struggled to his feet, offering a hand to Virgil and Logan as they got up. Logan scooped Patton up with a grunt. The three of them turned their heads up towards the sky.

“So, any brilliant ideas on how to get out of here?” Roman said.

“I can bring everyone up one at a time, I guess.” Virgil shrugged. Roman looked at him with an eyebrow raised. “We haven’t got much of a choice.”

Virgil whipped his cloak off, folding it over his arm. “I’ll take Logan up first, that way there’s someone with Patton at all times. If that’s ok?”

Logan nodded silently and shifted Patton over to Roman. Somewhat concerning, Patton was lighter than he appeared. Roman looked down at his face as Virgil took Logan up to the surface. His skin was pale under the dust and sweat beaded on his forehead. Roman hoped he was only tired.

When Roman looked up again, Virgil had landed softly in front of him, arms outstreatched. They shared a soft smile before Roman passed Patton into his care. This time he watched Virgil rise into the air and land smoothly on the surface where Logan was waiting. When Virgil turned to come back, he didn’t fly as much as fall, dropping much faster than he’d gone before. Even so, he landed so softly it didn’t even disturb the dust on the ground.

“Ready?”

Roman took the offered hand and let Virgil pull him in, wrapping his arms around Virgil’s shoulders. He involuntarily tightened his grip as they moved upwards, but it was over in a moment. Virgil set them down carefully by Logan and Patton. With no small amount of shock, Roman took in the ruined landscape.

All the fighting below ground, the earthquakes Deceit had sent and the power Patton had unleashed to get them free of the collapsing cavern had done a number on the land. Where the land around the mouth of the cavern had once been flat and smooth, now it was checkered with cracks. Sections had buckled and caved, enough rock had come down that it appeared to have forced water from the underground lake up to the surface. Murky liquid swirled between chunks, the dirt from the field too hard-packed to absorb any moisture. The damage extended out nearly a hundred feet from the ruined heap of black stone that had been the entrance.

Looking out across the area, Roman was relieved to see that their horses had remained at the edge of the cornfield. But, just before he could take a step towards them, the ground off to the left seemed to sigh. Rocks ground against each other and sunk down a few inches. More water welled up. Roman hesitated and looked back at his friends.

“How exactly are we going to get out of here?”

Logan grunted and shifted Patton to a shoulder, pressing a hand to the ground. “There’s water under a lot of these. I can guide us around to the dry spots, but I can’t guaruntee the rock will be stable there. Just that we won’t sink?”

“We’ll go one by one onto each chunk then.” Virgil suggested. “I can take Patton, so I can get him out quickly if the rock collapses.”

“You can’t just take us one by one again?” Roman asked, turning to look at Virgil.

“Do you know how heavy you are?” Virgil laughed dryly. “Commanding the air to be thick enough to support me can get tiring after a while, but doing it for three other people, all of whom are heavier than I am? I’ll pass out, just like Patton.”

Roman felt his face heat up. “Right.”

Logan passed Patton back to Virgil, sending Roman a slight smile as he did. Then, Logan walked to the edge of the chunk of stone they stood on. With an apprehensive glance behind him at the chasm, Logan jumped forward. His feet landed squarely on the next chunk. There was a pause, then Logan moved to the next one. Roman followed behind him, checking behind him to make sure Virgil and Patton could follow.

Everyone but Virgil was breathing heavily by the time they made it back to the horses. Logan seemed adamant on sharing his horse with the unconscious Patton, so Virgil yielded the child of earth back to him.

Roman was unusually eager to leave and he quickly took the lead once they were all mounted, spurring his horse on the road away from the shattered landscape. The corn fields once again sprung up around them, nearly blurring now as Roman pushed them faster and faster. Patton began to bounce dangerously as Logan struggled to keep them both on the horse. Logan caught Virgil’s eye and he nodded.

Urging his horse up, Virgil pulled up beside Roman and snagged his reins, forcing Roman to slow and match pace with him. Roman was staring down at the horn of saddle and didn’t look up, even when Virgil called his name softly. Thankfully, Virgil didn’t press, just kept pace with him. They kept on aimlessly heading down the dirt road, the horses seeming to lead on their own. When the sky grew dark, the horses brought them to one of the many little groves that they had passed on the way to Deceit’s cave.

This grove was small, a cluster of trees gathered around a little pond. The trees were just thick enough to block off the clearing from the outside world, creating a peaceful bubble. The moon was large and full overhead, reflected on the water when they dismounted. Virgil built up logs for a fire while Logan gently pulled Patton down from the saddle. When Virgil stepped back, Roman flicked his fingers and lit the fire, feeling numb. He watched Virgil move to help Logan with Patton, laying his thick cloak out on the ground to put the unconscious man on.

Roman turned away, moving around the bank to the other side of the pond. Quietly, he shrugged out of his loose shirt and breeches, draping them over his arm and stepping into the dark water. The pond was deeper than he would have thought, the bottom quickly dropping out until Roman was up to his stomach. The water was cold, but it was a welcome feeling. He lowered his arm, letting his clothes into the water and began to gently push them back and forth, letting the dust wash away from the fabric.

Roman dug his toes into the pebbled bottom of the pool and gritted his teeth. He ducked under the water, the sudden cool water on his face forcing the breath from his lungs. When he surfaced again, water dripped onto his face, his lungs stinging.

His stomach hurt, twisted up by the unshakable feeling that Deceit had been right. He’d rejected it at first, the very notion that the Dragon Witch was somehow his fault. And yet, somehow, the creeping  _knowledge_ that it was his fault had only grown. He was sure, now, though he couldn’t say how. And that left Roman with the realisation that every single death she’d caused in both his and Virgil’s kingdom, also rested on his head.

A hand touched his shoulder and Roman started. Turning his head, he saw Virgil next to him, his pale skin glowing in the moonlight. Tears sprung to his eyes, and he turned away, unable to look him in the face.

“Roman. It’s not your fault.” Virgil already seemed to know what the problem was without even asking.

“How can you know that? We’ve known each other for, what, a few days?” Roman looked down at his arms, scrubbing at them furiously. His clothes had floated off to the side, clean now, but the dust still coated his skin.

Virgil caught his hands, pulling them away from his reddening skin. He lifted his hands to his shoulders, forcing Roman to look at his face. “It’s ok, I’m here.”

Roman realised he was breathing heavily. The water around their waists was warming, too. Virgil held his gaze steadily, rubbing his thumbs across the top of Roman’s hands. Virgil’s shoulders were bony under his fingers. Roman let his gaze drop, following the line of Virgil’s chin down his chest. He’d known Virgil was slender, but now he could see just how thin he was. The ridges of his ribs were visible where the water rose around his waist. He was so fair that Roman could still see the outline of his hips below the water, reflecting moonlight. It hit Roman then that Virgil’s clothes were also floating in the water around them, cleaning off. Roman flushed and looked back up at Virgil’s face.

“Just relax.” Virgil smirked at him, apparently unbothered by Roman’s gaze. “Close your eyes and focus on my voice.”

Virgil started to hum then, softly. It was an oddly familiar melody, slow but sweet. With his eyes closed, Roman felt the water cool again as he got his powers under control. A breeze ruffled his hair, Virgil’s doing. When the humming faded away, Roman opened his eyes, much calmer. Virgil was closer than he’d been before, smiling softly up at him.

Roman’s hands slid off his shoulders and Virgil stepped back, sinking under the water wordlessly. He stood up and pushed his wet hair back from his forehead. “We should get out of the water and watch Patton for a bit so Logan has a chance to bathe.”

Roman nodded, swiping a hand through the water to collect his clothes. He channeled his power into them until they were steaming, the water evaporating out.

“Would you like me to…?” Roman offered, holding a hand out for Virgil’s clothes.

“Yes.” Virgil looked at his dripping garments ruefully. “Thank you.”

Roman took them and gave him a soft smile. Once they were dry and still a little warm, he handed them back. Together, they waded out of the pond, Roman being careful to keep his eyes on the trees and not on Virgil. He dressed quickly and ran his fingers through his hair, pushing everything into place before he dried it.

When he did chance a glance at Virgil, he found the other man was dressed, but not dry, droplets of water still clinging to his neck. Roman was struck again with just how fae this delicate creature appeared, with his wispy purple hair that never sat still and equally vibrant eyes that seemed to glow. When Virgil turned to walk back towards the campfire, Roman had no choice but to follow.

“Lo, go get washed up. We can take care of him for a few minutes.” Virgil crouched next to Logan, startling the man out of his reveries. Roman watched as Logan nodded blankly and stood up, recognising the lack of expression on his face, and knew that Logan was deep within his own thoughts.

Virgil took Logan’s place next to Patton, smoothing a hand across his dusty forehead and somehow, the motion was familiar. Roman could picture the scene reversed with a kind of ease, could see in his mind Patton perched on the edge of a wide bed, his hands running through Virgil’s hair in soothing motion, calming him down. He could see himself in that scene, pacing with reckless energy, his face twisted in the same guilt he felt now. And Logan, distantly shouting at him but stopping when he realised how his words affected Virgil. It was too real.

When Logan returned, Virgil let him retake his place at Patton’s side. Roman flashed a smile that felt fake at Virgil and stepped away from them, lying down on the ground across the fire from them. He shut his eyes, and made the fire burn a little hotter. Just enough that it would be uncomfortable for anyone to get close enough to him to talk. He closed his eyes.

 


	7. Part 6

When Roman opened his eyes the next morning, the fire was out, Logan was slumped over to the side, Patton was gone and there was a warm weight pressed into his back. Roman sat up, looking around frantically before his eyes settled on Patton in the pool. Relief sprung up in his chest and he sighed. Patton was alright.

As if hearing his thoughts, Patton turned to look back at the shore at that moment and waved, seeing Roman sitting up. Roman waved back, about to open his mouth to say something, when Patton pointed at him. Or rather, at the person right next to him.

Roman looked down at what the weight against his back had been and found Virgil, curled up into a little ball. Without his cloak, he looked cold, though the air held no chill. Roman thought it rather adorable that he’d been using him as a space heater. He smiled down at Virgil, who was now beginning to stir, and trying to pull himself closer to Roman’s warmth. Roman reached down and brushed his bangs back gently, watching Virgil’s eyes flutter open.

“Hey, Sleeping Beauty.”

Virgil groaned and rolled over, away from him.

“Now, kiddo, that’s no way to say good morning to your friends.” Patton came over, dressed, and winked at Roman.

Virgil shot up at Patton’s voice, scrambling to his feet before flinging his arms around the other man.

“You’re ok!”

Patton smiled. “Of course I am. I was just worn out from fighting Deceit.”

“I was worried.” Virgil released Patton and stepped back.

“I know you were.” The corners of Patton’s eyes crinkled. “Now, what do you say we rouse Logan?”

Roman lept to his feet, stepping over the fire pit to where Logan lay slumped. It couldn’t be good for his back, laying like that. Patton smiled down at the sleeping form softly, kneeling in front of him. Gently, he reached out a hand and shook Logan’s shoulder.

Logan opened his eyes right away, blinking in confusion at them. He’d forgotten to set his glasses down before he nodded off and his eyes were wide and hazy behind the lenses. After a few seconds, he seemed to focus and realised who had woken him.

“Patton! You’re alright!” Logan grabbed Patton’s shoulders, staring hard at him. Patton flushed.

“Yes, I’m perfectly fine, I was just exhausted.” Patton smiled. “No need to fret over me.”

Logan gaped at him for a few seconds, then leant in and planted a soft kiss on the corner of Patton’s mouth. “I will always fret over you.”

Patton blushed and Roman turned away when he leant in to kiss Logan properly.

Roman expected to need to give the two a little space, time with just each other, or something. He did not expect to hear Logan’s voice, oddly hesitant, speak up.

“Roman, Virgil, wait. I think there is something we must discuss.”

Roman chanced a glance back at the two. They were sitting on the ground, just as they had been, but there was something odd in their expressions. Patton and Logan were staring at each other with a look that Roman could only describe as amazement. And yes, Roman could see the affection, the love they had, but there was something else there, too. Something that gave Roman pause.

Patton swallowed hard and tore his eyes away from Logan, looking first to Virgil, than to Roman. “Remember my house, Roman?”

Roman tilted his head. “Of course I do, Pat.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.” He shook his head. “Before that. Do you really remember it? Think about it.”

Roman frowned. His mind skipped back to last night, the idle vision that his thoughts had conjured of Patton calming Virgil down. That had been on one of Patton’s beds. But that had just been a creation of his imagination. Right?

“What are you saying?” Virgil interrupted, his eyebrows knitting together. “Where is this coming from all of a sudden?”

Patton and Logan locked eyes again.

“Roman, I told you that I had a family at one point, a family that I shared my house with.” Patton said carefully.

Roman nodded. “A family that you couldn’t remember, yes.”

“I can remember them now.”

Roman blinked. Patton’s words made no sense. How could he suddenly remember them? Why was he telling Roman this? The look on Virgil’s face said he was just as confused as Roman felt, but Logan seemed oddly calm.

“I-” Roman cut himself off. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“I think you’d better just tell us what’s going on.” Virgil’s hand was suddenly on Roman’s arm, tight, but his fingers were trembling.

“We used to live together.” Logan stood up abruptly. “The four of us used to live together.”

Roman blinked at him, waiting for Logan to smile, give some indication that it was a joke. He had no memory of them ever living together, how could that be true? There had to be some mistake. Roman shook his head furiously, tripping backwards.

“No, you’re wrong!” The words came out in a shout, panic rising in his throat. He couldn’t say why, but something within him rejected it, hard.

“Roman?” Virgil’s voice, soft, concerned.

Roman turned and left. He stumbled away from them, into the trees, the darkness bearing down heavily. He kept going until he broke out of the trees, out onto the open fields and pastures. The sunrise ahead of him turned everything to gold tones. Roman looked down, tears springing to his eyes.

He couldn’t make sense of his emotions. The only thing he knew was that the terrible, roiling guilt was back. The thought that he had been a part of a family, one that included Patton and Logan and Virgil, should fill him with joy. And yet, the fear that they had been a family, that something had happened to cause them to forget, something that had been his fault? It was overwhelming. He couldn’t explain it, but something had been off ever since they’d tangled with Deceit.

A stick crunched behind him and Roman knew it was Virgil. He didn’t turn to look.

Polished black boots entered his field of view and a hand gently lifted his chin up until he was forced to look into purple eyes.

“Roman, forgive me for this. Logan says it’ll make sense.” Virgil murmured softly, and then they were kissing.

Virgil’s lips were soft against his, and he let out a little gasp when he went to pull away. But Roman didn’t want to think, and he didn’t want Virgil to leave. Roman pushed forward, slotting their mouths back together, and Virgil let him. Roman’s hands tentatively rested on Virgil’s waist, tightening and pulling him closer only after Virgil’s fingers slid up his jaw to twist in his hair. Teeth scraped across his bottom lip and the sensation was so achingly _familiar_ that Roman had to step away.

It was all back then, when Roman got a look at Virgil’s face again. Both of them knew now, he could tell. The memories were far from perfect, words hazy and indistinct, but the pictures were clear.

Patton and Virgil, making pancakes together in the kitchen. Logan and Roman, stargazing on the roof of the house they shared. Virgil, yanking bedsheets up to his chin and knocking Roman out of the bed as he did. Patton stumbling out of his bedroom while Virgil watered the plants in the flower box, hair disheveled and trailing a grinning Logan after him.

Logan shouting after Roman. Patton staring blankly at the front door, a tear rolling down his cheek as it hit the frame with a shudder. Roman waking to an empty bed one morning, a note in Virgil’s thin letters that only said one word, a goodbye. The silence between Patton and Roman, the shut bedroom doors and the days that passed without ever seeing each other in a house that was suddenly too big. The look of the house from a distance as Roman rode away, early one morning before Patton would notice.

Roman didn’t know what they had fought over, he didn’t know why he had left, he didn’t know how it was possible for him to have forgotten it all. But he knew he’d been right, before. It had been his fault.

“I’m sorry.”

It was a breath, the mere suggestion of a whisper, but it was all he could manage.

“It’s not your fault.”

Virgil’s eyes were kinder than he deserved.

Roman let Virgil pull him back into the trees, back into the clearing to face Patton and Logan. Before Roman could even get a word in, Patton stood up and pulled him into his arms. Roman let his tears fall. Logan joined in after that, and Virgil, until they were all one big hugging, emotional mess.

When they parted, Logan had them all sit down, a serious look on his face.

“I think we need to continue with our original quest with all possible haste.” He stated simply.

Roman blinked. That wasn’t what he’d expected.

“Aside from the obvious reasons, that the Dragon Witch is destroying the land and killing our subjects, whom we must put first, there is an additional advantage to this. When we faced Deceit, he confirmed that Roman and the Dragon Witch were connected, but we also discovered a connection between Patton and Deceit.” Logan locked eyes with Roman. “My point in all of this is, the Dragon Witch may hold answers to questions that we don’t know to ask yet.”

“Like what happened to our memories.” Roman said softly.

“Among other things.” Virgil agreed.

Logan cocked his head and gave Virgil a look. Something about Virgil’s expression made Roman hesitant.

Virgil coughed to clear his throat. “Roman, could you spin in a circle for us?”

Roman did.

“Now, would you mind letting me examine your sword?” Virgil said, his gaze steady.

Roman frowned, but unsheathed his sword and handed it over. Patton gasped.

“What?” Roman looked at his sword. The naked blade looked just as it ever had, laying across Virgil’s palms, but the other three were staring at it with a curious kind of wonder.

Logan looked up, searching his face for something. “Roman, you weren’t wearing your sword.”

Roman tilted his head. “Of course I was. I always have my sword with me.”

“No, Logan is right.” Virgil handed the katana back to him and Roman sheathed it. “I had you spin for us so I could check if you were concealing it somehow. Your sword appeared when you went to grab it.”

“I-” Roman shook his head. That wasn’t possible. His sword was real. He would know, he created it. “No, that’s not right.”

“It is, Roman. When was the last time you took it off? When was the last time you put it on?” Logan pressed.

“That can’t be! Swords don’t just appear out of nowhere!” Roman argued, his heart racing.

“No, they can’t. That’s why we need to find the Dragon Witch. None of this makes sense.” Virgil said firmly. “Deceit said that when dreams rule the kingdom, only Roman could find her. Now, I’m open to suggestion on what that first part means, but I’ll bet that the second half is true now. Roman, you’re the only one of us who can find her, and you must.”

A kind of nervousness buzzed beneath his skin, and Roman knew he had to do it. He didn’t want to, he felt nearly sick thinking about what it would mean if he did fail to find her, but he knew he had to try.

“Alright.”

Patton rose, knocking away pebbles as he shifted and stretched. Virgil held out a hand and his heavy cloak blew up from the ground into it. Logan merely stood up, offering Roman assistance. He took it, gripping Logan’s cold fingers and letting the man pull him to his feet.

“Shall we be off, then?” He queried.

“We shall.”

The horses snorted and tossed their heads as they approached, as if they could sense the excitement and apprehension. Roman was the last to mount his horse, and he would be lying if he claimed to not be stalling, just a bit.

The issue was, he really didn’t know where to go. He had guesses, he had some intuition, but there was no tugging gut feeling that made him sure of his path. So he did the best he could, and guided the horses south towards the main road. When they reached it, he turned them east. It was only a guess, but it made sense to him. They’d gone along this border road west to reach Deceit, and had found no sign of the Dragon Witch.

Fields rose up around them, corn, then wheat, then little green sprouts that Roman couldn’t name. Once or twice they passed by a field that was empty of any crop, having been given back over to the wildflowers while the soil recovered. They passed a few towns, and the road that would have taken them back to Roman’s castle.

Roman looked down that road wistfully when it went by. He knew he was doing the right thing, going to save his people from the destruction of the Dragon Witch, but how he missed his bright summer palace. He didn’t miss the longing glance Patton threw down that road, towards his own house, though, and he knew that he had to find the Dragon Witch regardless. He’d be lying if he said that he didn’t miss Patton’s house also, now that his head was full of dancing memories of waking up next to Virgil and eating breakfast, all four of them, in Patton’s cosy kitchen.

Roman pushed his steed a bit harder and they continued.

“Now that I have really thought about it, there is another thing that doesn’t add up.” Logan pulled up in between Roman and Virgil, looking between the two of them carefully. Roman spared him a glance out of the corner of his eye, surprised that Logan wanted to talk during the ride.

“You’re the High Prince of the White Kingdom, Roman, and Virgil is the High Prince of the Black Kingdom.” Logan gestured to both of them. “Now, traditionally, the title of High Prince is used to refer to the Crown Prince, or a Duke, someone who is in line for the throne but is not yet the King. That coupled with the fact that you both still preside over Kingdoms, not territories, begs a very concerning question.”

“If neither of you are King, who is?” Logan paused. “Now, I think I may be able to answer-”

“Wait.” Virgil him off sharply. Roman didn’t miss the affronted look Logan shot Virgil, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything in Virgil’s defence. Instead, he just pointed ahead to the reason for it, and watched Logan’s face drain of colour.

Alongside the path ahead, the green fields abruptly dropped away to black, scorched land. Far ahead of them, crumbling frames stuck up like sentries from the charred earth. There wasn’t even a hint of life. The ground crunched under hoof as the horses picked their way across, the burnt crust of the earth cracking with puffs of ash. There was no brown soil underneath the top layer, however, only more charcoal. They’d barely gone ten paces into the war zone when Virgil’s stallion suddenly threw his head back and neighed, the whites of his eyes flashing. A massive shadow fell over them and a great sound like thunderous drums rolled over their heads. Roman looked up, but all he could make out was a massive serpentine body outlined in red against the sun. That was enough, though.

They’d found the Dragon Witch.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! If anyone is interested, I have set up a group chat for fanders that is smaller than the current existing one, if anyone wishes to join. Personally, I'd really like to get to know more of you, but the sheer size of the group chat that already exists is way too overwhelming for me. So if you'd like to, come join me! <https://discord.gg/cXaD5CK>


	8. Part 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week will be the final chapter of this and the final showdown!

Virgil’s head ached from the strobing thuds of her great wings, the sound like the beats of a war drum. It rolled over the scorched earth, growing louder and heavier in his chest until she landed ahead of them.

The Dragon Witch was massive and splendid and utterly horrifying. Her scales were gold, but the edges of each one were dipped in a deep red, making her every move seem to shimmer menacingly. Folded across her back, leathery wings extended the length of her body, so dark green they seemed black. Her horns were glossy spiraling spikes of the same colour and her great, terrible eyes were as red as Roman’s.

When she looked to the party, her chest rippled crimson as she swelled with breath.

“I see you’ve found me at last.” She rumbled, and the sound was like scraping boulders. “But are you truly ready to face me?”

Roman was the first to unfreeze, swinging off his mount. The moment his feet touched the ground, the mare bolted. He spared a glance after her, but the Witch’s grating laugh called his attention.

“Don’t worry. You have no need for a mount anymore.” She moved closer, and the remaining horses started to shift uneasily. She laughed again. “None of you do.”

Virgil’s stallion was just as uneasy as the rest of them, but he didn’t even shift to dismount until Roman glanced back and nodded. One by one, the horse fled. There was an air of finality about the way they ran, and Virgil knew he’d not be seeing them again. The Dragon Witch watched them leave with a predatory satisfaction.

“Now,” The Witch curled around herself, primly, an air of nobility about her that was uncomfortably similar to Roman’s. “Why have you finally sought me out?”

“Why do you think?” Roman spat. Virgil could see the tension in his shoulder.

She said nothing at this, merely regarded him with amusement.

“We’re here because you keep destroying my land, killing my people, laying waste to everything you can.” Roman proclaimed, gesturing with a hand that shook ever so slightly at their blackened surroundings.

The Witch lowered her head until one large eye was level with Roman’s face. “And?”

“And we have some questions.” Patton stepped forward, laying a hand on Roman’s arm.

The head swung around to stare at Patton, and Logan made an aborted jerk, as if to pull Patton away.

“I have been wondering when I would see you again.” The Dragon Witch blew a puff of sulfurous air into his face and withdrew. Virgil glanced at Logan, confused. He shook his head, to signal that he didn’t know either. What did she mean, again?

Virgil stepped forward, placing a hand on Roman’s shoulder. Roman turned to glance at him and Virgil went up on his toes so he could reach Roman’s ear.

“Do you remember anything about her? Like Patton did with Deceit?” He whispered, hoping she couldn’t hear him. Expressions were difficult to discern on a scaly face.

Roman gave a nearly imperceptible shake of his head. Virgil tried not to let the disappointment show.

“Can you give us our memories back?” Patton asked her.

The Dragon Witch pulled her lips back from her teeth, a gruesome mockery of a smile. “Only if you want them. Only if he wants them.” She looked at Roman.

“Of course I want them! Why wouldn’t I want them?” Roman demanded defensively.

“I know not, you are the one who let them fade.” She lifted a claw, examining the base of her talons disinterestedly.

Roman looked like he had been hit in the chest. He seemed to draw in on himself, closing off somehow. Virgil had seen that expression on his face far too many times in the past day.

Then Roman looked back up, his red eyes bright, and extended an arm out towards the Dragon Witch. Flame erupted from his palm, billowing out towards her. It engulfed her, wrapping around her like a savage caress, and an agonizing howl split the air. Even behind Roman, the air grew unbearably hot and a bitter, charred smell reacher Virgil. The smoke that spiraled up from her was an ugly brown. Roman’s hand began to shake, and he lifted his other hand, adding to the flame briefly, but the sweat beading on Roman’s forehead showed the strain clearly. He dropped both arms after just a few more seconds, pale and sweaty. The fire died away and Virgil let out a gasp.

The Dragon Witch had uncurled from her ball, and spread her wings slightly. Though the leathery skin was smoking, they appeared unharmed. Her scales, however, were glowing brightly as though they’d absorbed the flame. She was radiant to behold, as though she were made completely of fire.

She let out a terrible laugh and an answering jet of flame rushed at them, too fast. Virgil felt himself be pulled down as the deadly heat reached them. Patton had thrown up a short but thick wall of earth that curved over Logan, Virgil and himself, protecting them from the worst of the flame’s fury, but Roman was still somewhere in the raging inferno. Virgil started to raise his hand, to do something to help, but Patton caught it and pulled him closer, shaking his head.

The flame continued for what seemed like forever, until the heat was almost too much to bear. Virgil was sweating and dizzy and faint when the fire suddenly vanished. The air hung red-hot for a moment, then began to cool and Virgil let out a sigh of relief. He stood up from Patton’s shelter, turning towards Roman.

The man had stood his ground easily, it appeared. He’d also seemed to have merely absorbed the flame, and now glowed with the same eerie aura. The Dragon Witch seemed pleased by this, watching Roman intently. The twitch of her tail was the only sign before she pounced, knocking Roman onto his back and hovering over him.

Her jaws opened again and Virgil started to run towards them, his mouth open in a shout. “Ro-”

And then the world went dark.

 

~*~

 

His hands were on the pebbled leather of a steering wheel, laughing as he pulled up to a red light.

_Virgil hated driving, but Roman loved car ride sing-alongs._

There was a phone plugged into the radio, the soundtrack to Hamilton was playing.

_They knew all the lyrics._

A person was in the seat next to him, a person with beautiful eyes, a warm smile, and an orange beanie.

_Their best friend, Joan._

Joan was rapping along to Jefferson’s part, and he marveled at how easy Joan made it seem, as if it were no big deal to speak so quickly without tripping over your own tongue.

_Virgil thought Joan had always been better at it than Logan._

He glanced in the rear view mirror and shot a grin at the blue haired person in his backseat.

_Talyn, their other best friend._

They had blue hair, matching Joan’s orange beanie.

_Blue and orange, because they lived in Gainesville._

“Thomas, can I play the next song?” Talyn spoke up from the back seat.

_Virgil wondered who Thomas was._

“Yeah, you can play some Vetal Miking next.” His own mouth answered, wryly.

_Virgil realised they were all Thomas._

“Cool.”

_Virgil knew Patton would want everyone to have a turn at playing their own music._

Thomas’s mind began to wander at their inside joke, thinking about what to do for his next video.

_Virgil could practically hear Roman plotting all these wonderful ideas to share with Thomas._

The light turned green and Thomas took his foot off the brake, still thinking about the next video.

_Virgil thought they should be paying more attention to the road._

Headlights shone through Thomas’s window as another car, moving much too fast, blew through the red light and slammed into Thomas’s door.

_Everything was going dark and Virgil started to panic._

Flashes of white and red and blaring sirens faded as Thomas’s head lolled to the side.

_The blackness was warm though, soft and sweet and thick, like molasses._

“On three! One, two, three, up!” The hiss of hydraulics as a gurney was lifted into the back of an ambulance.

_It was so comfortable, Virgil and Thomas weren’t scared anymore._

“He’s going to need surgery, but he’ll pull through. Not sure about the other driver, though. A drunk, I think.” A woman’s voice said, weary.

_Virgil knew Roman didn’t want to think about the other driver._

“No, no, honey, you’ve got to stay awake. Stay with me.” The woman’s voice commanded.

_Staying awake was so very hard, Thomas didn’t want to._

“He’s going to wake up, won’t he? I thought you said the surgery went fine.” Joan’s voice.

_Virgil could feel Thomas’s sleepiness._

“Physically, he is recovering well. Mentally, we can’t say. He’s in a coma right now.” A nurse.

_It was hard to not also feel sleepy._

“A coma? But he’ll wake up, right? He’ll be ok?” Talyn.

_Thomas was wishing the voices would quiet down and let him sleep a little longer._

“He’ll wake up when he wants to wake up, and not before.”

_Virgil had to agree with Thomas._

“I do have to warn you, the longer he remains in a coma, the smaller the chances of him awakening become.”

_Virgil knew Roman fiercely wanted sleep, also._

“And, there may be side effects, including memory loss, if he remains in a coma for too long.”

_They were all so sleepy._

“The best thing you can do for Mr. Sanders right now is to focus on your own recovery and be there for him if he wakes up.”

_Everything was so soft and dark._

“You mean when he wakes up.”

_Couldn’t they just quiet down?_

“Of course.”

_Shhhhhhhh._

Silence.

_Finally._

 

_*_

 

When Virgil’s eyes opened, he was lying on a soft bed, Roman’s head on the pillow next to him. There was another massive bed next to them, Logan curled like a cat around Patton on it. The beds floated in a depthless, motionless, soundless white. He shut his eyes.

 

Virgil awoke again, in the same bed, still next to Roman, but this time the bed was in a room. Wooden walls, wooden floors, a single wooden door. It was cosy, warm. Patton and Logan were nowhere to be seen. He knew they were fine, however. There was a window, but it showed nothing outside except that same boundless white. Virgil was so tired.

 

This time Virgil forced himself to get out of the bed. He walked to the door and opened it into a bright living area. There was a rug, a small table, and a little kitchen. Skylights in the roof made the whole area seem bright and cheerful. Next to the door back to his and Roman’s bedroom, another door lead into Patton and Logan’s. After checking in on the two sleepyheads, Virgil went back into his bedroom. The window showed a green field of corn, a blue sky, and fading white in the distance. Roman sighed in his sleep. Virgil got back into bed, laying his head on his chest.

 

Patton was making breakfast for all of them when Virgil woke next, and Virgil joined him in the kitchen. There was no longer any white outside the window, and now the occasional bird would flit by. Virgil helped Patton stack pancakes and lay out pieces of toast slathered with jelly. A door opened and Logan stumbled out, rubbing his eyes. He grabbed a piece of toast and leaned against the counter. Patton kissed his cheek. Virgil went to set the plates of food on the table. He had to move the new chessboard that had appeared. Virgil wondered if Roman would want to play a game when he woke up, and slid a black pawn forward. While white traditionally was supposed to go first, Virgil knew Roman wouldn’t mind. Roman always was white, and Virgil always was black.

 

*

 

“I believe it is time we return.” Logan said, one morning. Patton looked at him, confused.

“Return?” He asked, glancing back down at the little clay dolls he had formed of each of them.

“Yes, return to Thomas.” Logan sighed and set down his cup of coffee. “While I cannot deny I have enjoyed our rest while we waited for Thomas’s physical recovery, I believe it is now time we assist his mental recovery by leaving this land and returning to him. Not, of course, to cast any aspersions on this lovely mindscape you’ve created for us, Roman.”

Roman paused in his endeavour to create flaming hoops and frowned at Logan. “Do you really think we need to do that yet, though. It hasn’t been very long. I think it might be best if we waited longer.”

Virgil watched this all from where he floated above their heads.

Logan gave Roman a pitying look. “I know you you’ve done your best to make us all wish to remain here, by giving us each some little control over the land you’ve imagined, but I really think we need to return as soon as possible to prevent damage to Thomas’s mind.”

“Thomas’s mind won’t be damaged. I’m Creativity, you’re Logic, we’d know if his mind were at risk.” Roman dismissed him.

“Ro, I don’t know what it is that you’re afraid of, but I assure you we can work through it with Joan and Talyn.” Virgil spoke up softly. After all, he knew his boyfriend better than anyone. He could tell when Roman was upset or scared. It was clear to him in the defensive manner of Roman’s arguments, and in the very fabric of the land itself. The first date Roman had taken him on, he’d created this massive castle and fantasy world, all far too extravagant just to impress Virgil. That was exactly what he’d done now.

“I’m not afraid of anything, why would you think I’m afraid of something?” Roman spat out.

Virgil and Logan locked eyes. “I saw villagers wandering around the other day, Ro. You’ve told me so many times how hard it is to create people. You wouldn’t make any unless you wanted us to stay here for a while. You’re hiding something.” Virgil knew his tone was dangerously accusatory, but he hoped it would spur Roman into confession.

“I am hiding nothing.” Roman was concentrating very intently on his fire rings but Virgil could see the tremor in his hands. “This is my mindscape, if I want to make other people to fill it, then I can.”

“You gave them powers too, didn’t you?” Patton cut in then, giving Roman a gentle look. Roman said nothing, and his silence rang loud in the room.

“What are you trying to make, Roman? Who are we in this story you’re trying to create?” Patton got up and moved to sit beside him, taking Roman’s hands in his own and extinguishing the fire.

Roman stared at their clasped hands for a few moments, then looked up with hopeful eyes.

“We are anyone we want to be.” His expression was oddly pleading. “I could be a real prince. Logan, you could be a librarian and put all your knowledge into books. It’d fill rooms, I’m sure. Patton could grow all those little plants he loves, or maybe take care of cute animals. Virgil, you could rule beside me, if you wanted? Everyone would love you. This world could be perfect.”

Virgil slowly let himself down until his feet touched the wooden floor, his eyes never leaving the creative side’s face.

“I just don’t want to go back.” Roman’s voice was small.

Small, childlike, afraid.

Virgil knew what Roman was thinking.

“It’s not your fault, Princey.”

Roman looked at the ground guiltily, and Virgil pressed on.

“The crash wasn’t Thomas’s fault, it wasn’t any of our faults. The other driver was drunk, you heard the nurse. Whether or not Thomas had been paying attention, we would have been hit anyway.”

Roman was shaking his head before he was even finished. “No, no. You knew, right before we went at that green light, I heard you say that we should be paying more attention to the road. If I hadn’t been giving Thomas ideas, if he’d just listened to you and lingered a bit longer at that light, we might have been ok.”

“Or the car might have hit the back driver’s side door instead of the front driver’s side door, and it could have hurt Talyn instead of us.” Virgil corrected him. “But none of that happened, and Thomas is going to be ok. Once he wakes up from his coma.”

Virgil watched Roman glance briefly at Patton, then longer at Logan, as if he was searching their faces for some sign of blame to back him up. To justify his guilt.

“No one will blame you for anything when we get back.” Logan adjusted his glasses. Hesitantly, he placed his hand on Roman’s shoulder.

Roman looked down. “I’m sorry.” A tear rolled down his cheek. “I can’t.”

Logan’s hand dropped from his shoulder. “Roman, you must. We have to return to Thomas. The longer we spend in this coma, the greater the risk of side effects become.”

“Side effects?” Patton looked up at the logical side.

“Memory loss is my biggest concern.” Logan’s face had closed off, he’d slipped behind the professional teacher mask that Virgil knew too well. “Both short term and long term amnesia are common conditions observed in patients who wake from comas, for varying reasons. I am not sure how that will effect us.”

Logan’s voice trailed off at the end, a sign Virgil recognised with a deep sense of foreboding. It meant there was something more to be added. “But?”

Logan drew in a breath and looked steadily at Virgil. “But, it is possible we may begin to loose memories of Thomas and of the real world. Part of the danger of Roman’s created world is that, as our real memories fade, we run the risk of being sucked into the fantasy.”

“Would that really be so bad?” Roman asked then, and Virgil watched that sentence do its damage.

“Would it be so bad?” Logan repeated, splotches of colour rising to his cheekbones. “To forget who we are entirely? Yes, I believe it _would_ really be so bad. I cannot believe you’d even suggest that.”

Roman stood up abruptly, facing Logan and nearly knocking Patton off the sofa. “Well, I can’t go back. I’m staying here in this apparently terrible world that I’ve made. Feel free to leave, if you don’t like it. Maybe you can use all those reams of knowledge to just think your way out of my horrid land.” He snarled, face turning red also.

Logan took a step back, his face colder than Virgil had seen in a while. “You know, I think I shall.”

He walked to the door, legs stiff. He opened it jerkily and turned back to face them.

“If either of you would like to join me, Patton or Virgil, in doing what is best for Thomas and attempting to find a way out of this place,” Logan’s voice cracked. “Then feel free to come with me.”

There was a moment of stunned silence and no one moved. Logan’s shoulders stiffened.

“I see.”

The door slammed into the frame behind him, the vibrations carrying through the air and through the earth. A tear slipped down Patton’s cheek. Roman went into the bedroom he and Virgil shared.

That night, Virgil left Roman alone in their bed, curling up with Patton on the couch instead. His shirt was damp and stiff in places the next morning. Patton refused to go back into his bedroom. He said it felt too big now. From then on, Patton either slept curled against Virgil’s side on the couch, or snuggled between Roman and Virgil in their bed.

Some weeks later, Patton said goodnight to Virgil and headed into his own bedroom. When Virgil asked if he would be ok sleeping in that room, Patton said that he would be fine, of course. Virgil found no hint of a lie in Patton’s eyes or face or words. Patton had forgotten.

Logan’s voice rang in his ears that night as he penned Roman a farewell and kissed his cheek. Virgil’s heart was heavy as he turned his back on the little cottage they had shared, and sprung up into the air with one powerful kick. He had no idea where Logan had gone, but his gut told him to head north. So, clinging desperately to his memories, Virgil let the cold and wild north winds sweep him up and drag him off, hopefully, to his friend. Hopefully, to a way back to Thomas.

 

~*~

 

“-man.” Virgil’s mouth shut closed and he stumbled, staring at Roman and the Dragon Witch.

The Dragon Witch’s fangs snapped together and she looked up at him, a toothily self-satisfied smirk on her face. She stepped away from Roman.

“Now,” She crooned. “You all remember everything you tried to forget. I’ve granted your request, Prince. But can you overcome the effects of the coma, that’s slowly eating away at dear Thomas’s mind?”

She paused and gestured to the barren and scorched land around them, then fixed Roman with a proud sneer. “Can you defeat me, overcome the manifestation of your guilt, and return to Thomas?” The sneer dropped into something more menacing.

“Do you even want to?”

 


	9. Part 8- The Finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, guys! The end of the ride, the end of the story!

Roman blinked rapidly, and Virgil noticed then the tears that shone on his face. Roman turned towards him and there must have been something in his expression that gave it away, because Roman seemed to fold in on himself. Beside him, Patton stood on shaking legs, Logan equally unsteady beside him.

“Roman… I…” Patton started to say something, but he had no words.

The Dragon Witch sat still, watching with a silent inscrutability.

* * *

 

Roman took a step forward, towards them, and fell to his knees, head bowed. Virgil rushed forward and dropped down next to him, pulling him into his arms.

“I just wanted everyone to be happy. I just wanted everything to be alright. For everything to be beautiful.” Roman sniffed quietly.

Virgil rubbed his back awkwardly and thought of the rainbows and ice of his castle, the frigid serenity of that secluded grove they’d bathed in, even the dirty majesty of Deceit’s cave. Beautiful, indeed.

“You did, Ro You did.”

Roman shook his face and looked up at Virgil with reddened eyes. “No, I didn’t. I messed that up too.” His hands balled into fists, nails digging into his skin, but his grip was too tight for Virgil to break.

“I couldn’t stop it.” Roman’s voice broke on the last word. “I thought I could give us a new life, i thought I could undo what I’d done in getting us into the crash, but I couldn’t. We’re still trapped here, forgetting, the people I created dying, the land fading.”

Virgil could say nothing to the bitterness and regret in his voice.

Patton knelt next to them, and Logan on Roman’s other side. Virgil gave them a weak smile. Over Logan’s shoulder, the horizon disappeared into a white fog.

“Roman, it’s not too late. You can fix this. We have to go back.” Logan said gently. “We can all go back to Thomas together.”

Roman shook his head.

“Hey, kiddo, it’ll be alright. Once we go back to Thomas, maybe we could bring him here. Right?” Patton tried to laugh, it came out weak.

Logan squeezed Roman’s shoulder. “Precisely, Patton. Since we are all part of Thomas, he probably has all of our powers combined. I’m sure that would absolutely delight him. I know he’d love to visit this land you made.”

“Roman.” Virgil whispered. “You’ve got to come with us. We won’t leave you.”

The Dragon Witch let out an ugly laugh at that, though she was too far away to have possibly heard it herself. “None of you can leave unless you all do. You cannot beat me alone.”

Virgil scowled at her, shifting as if he could block Roman from her sight. “Is that what it’ll take, then? To get back, we just have to beat you?”

“But of course.” She lept into the air then, buffeting them with wind from her great wings. Despite the noise, they could all still hear her clearly. “I am the manifestation of Roman’s guilt.”

She hovered there, staring down at them, waiting for them to do something.

Virgil looked down at Roman. “Will you help us?”

“I-” Roman hesitated.

“This is the end, Roman. I die, or you all do.” The Dragon Witch rumbled from overhead. “I will not leave without bloodshed.”

Something in Roman’s expression seemed to break. His hand found Virgil’s, grip tight.

“I will help.”

Virgil held his gaze for a moment, then nodded. He stood up fluidly and reached a hand up towards the sky, towards the Witch. Making a fist, he yanked the air out from under her wings. The membrane between her bones went slack and her wings seemed to fold without the air to keep them open. She fell, talons scrabbling uselessly at the sky.

Her mouth opened, but without any oxygen to combust, no fire came out. She hit the ground heavily, and Virgil relinquished his grip on the air, it rushing back in and hitting her with a muffled thud. Next there was a grinding sound as Patton took over, the earth rippling as the Witch’s talons started to sink into the earth as though it were quicksand. No matter how she pulled against it, she continued to sink until her knees had disappeared into the ground.

Logan stood, shutting his eyes. The air grew dry as he pulled the very moisture from the sky, water collecting in a massive orb in front of him. The Dragon Witch began to thrash when she saw it, trying to yank herself out of her stone prison. The ground rumbled and cracked in a few places, but held firm. She couldn’t escape. The sphere of water was still growing, nearly big enough to cover her whole body now.

As a last ditch effort at self preservation, she opened her maw again. The glow was building and Virgil knew he wouldn’t have enough time to stop her. She unleashed her flame in a stream at Logan. Virgil shut his eyes as the heat burned past his face. But there were no screams.

Virgil opened his eyes, carefully, to the sight of two walls of fire on either side of them, the Dragon Witch’s spray split in two. Patton stood behind Logan, staring in amazement at it, and Roman stood before them all, his hands inside the flame right where it split. There were still tear tracks on his face, the tears having evaporated from the flames, but his back was straight and his shoulders were squared. He would be alright.

Roman did something with his hands that Virgil couldn’t see, and the walls of fire tapered off, until there was only a line of flame disappearing into his palms.

“Now, Logan.” He grunted, planting his feet more firmly.

Though only Patton and Virgil could see, Logan nodded and moved his ball of water forward, until it touched the Dragon Witch’s side and encased her. Even underwater, her flame still kept going, though it was little more than a red glow behind her teeth. The water boiled with her rage, though Logan kept any from evaporating.

“She’ll cook herself alive like this.” Patton said. He was staring at his feet, fists clenched as she thrashed within the bubble.

Logan nodded, his face blank.

Roman walked up to the edge of the bubble, his face hard.

“Logan, let the water go.” He said softly.

Logan looked at him questioningly.

“Trust me.” Metal flashed in Roman’s hand.

The water splashed away, soaking into the ground. The Dragon Witch, exhausted, collapsed and gasped. Roman walked forward, placing a hand on her eye ridge, almost a caress. He brought his other hand up and drove his sword into the top of her skull. Her body slumped and went still, all of her strings cut in one stroke.

Hands still frozen on the hilt, Roman bowed his head. “I’m sorry.” He muttered, voice almost too quiet for Virgil to hear.

“It was either you or my family. You were made from me, so I know you understood that I couldn’t let them go. I don’t think I can completely kill you, though. A man is still dead out in the real world, still dead because of my car. It’s still my fault, as far as I know. I guess I’ll find out whether or not that’s true soon.” Roman sniffed, his back still to them. “I’ll trust in my family, though. They say we have to go back, so we will. They say it’ll be alright, so I’ll choose to believe them.”

Roman let go of the handle of his sword, leaving it where it was. He turned around and walked back to where Virgil, Logan and Patton stood, silent. He stopped in front of them, his eyes cast down even as theirs searched his face relentlessly.

“I’m ready to go home now.”

The white of the horizon crept up, eating up the land and the sky until there was only a small brown circle on which they stood. As Patton and Logan embraced, Virgil reached up and wound his arms around Roman’s neck, pulling him in for a soft kiss. After a few seconds, Roman pulled back the tiniest bit and Virgil felt him exhale a soft sigh against his lips. The rest of the land vanished and the white turned to black. They fell, and then they didn’t.

 

~*~

 

“I don’t know what to do. I can’t do this. I really, honestly can’t do this.” Sniffles. “But I can’t bear the alternative either.”

His nose tickled.

“It’ll get better. He’ll wake up soon.”

It felt like there was something in it?

“It’s been three weeks. When is soon? When are we getting our best friend back?”

And what on earth was that beeping noise?

“I don’t know.”

It smelled really weird. Like stale metal. Seriously, what was in his nose?

“I just.  _Fuck_. He’s been with me for so long. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to never see him smile again.” A banging noise. “And what am I going to do when they finally decide they need the space for other people? When they want to pull his plug?”

It was very bright behind his eyelids. Virgil didn’t like that.

“We don’t have to think about that yet.”

Logan was saying they should probably open his eyes.

“Tal, the other driver died. Died. That’s how serious the hit was. We were so lucky to get away with only some bruises and a broken bone.”

Patton was saying the bed he was in wasn’t very comfortable. The blankets felt cheap.

“But we got through, and so will Thomas. The other driver was drunk, and apparently didn’t want to live anyway. Thomas does, so he’s going to pull through. We just have to believe in him.”

Roman thought he had wonderful friends that he should absolutely hug.

“The insurance company will only pay for this for so long.”

Thomas opened his eyes.

“What will happen when they stop paying?” Joan was crying, Talyn doing their best to hold themselves and their partner together. Joan’s arm was in a sling and both had a collage of yellowing bruises across their faces, hidden by makeup that tears had washed away. “What if he’s still in pain when he wakes up and can’t work and gets a bunch of debt and becomes homeless?” Joan was babbling nonsensical things now.

“Well, I guess I’ll just have to try to  _sleep_  the pain off, huh?” Thomas said, then winced. His throat was dry and rough from disuse.

Talyn and Joan’s heads snapped over to look at him, and then he was overwhelmed by a mass of arms and tears. His body ached at being jostled, and he could barely lift his arms to hug them back, but that didn’t matter. They knew, and he knew. It was going to be alright.

Once they had finally let him go and alerted a nurse that he was awake, Joan helped him carefully drink a cup of water as Talyn filled him in on the details of what had happened.

The driver who’d crashed into them had been on the way to a nearby lake, according to a suicide note he’d written. Heavily intoxicated from a mixture of strong alcohol and illegal pain pills, he’d been running away from a childless, loveless marriage. Intent only on his own death, he hadn’t cared enough to try to avoid the crash and had died shortly after being brought into the hospital. His insurance had paid for Thomas, Joan and Talyn’s treatment.

Talyn had been jerked around when the crash happened, but by an incredible stroke of luck they’d been able to walk away with only bruising and some cuts on their chest from the seatbelt. Joan had been less fortunate, their head and shoulder having been slammed into the window. They’d suffered brusing, some lacerations from broken glass, a dislocated shoulder and a concussion. All bad enough, but it didn’t compare to Thomas’s injuries. Joan went pale as Talyn shakily described Thomas’s fractured skull, broken arm, serious lacerations and broken ribs. He’d been in a coma since they’d taken him in to the hospital, because of the skull injury.

Thomas became hyper aware then of the bandages wrapped around most of his body.

Joan pulled the cup of water away from him and showed him a pile of cards, flowers in various states of wilting and other gifts that had been sent in from fans over the past few weeks. It was sweet. His fans were so sweet.

A doctor came in and talked for a little while, about how it was good that he’d woken up, but that he would still need to remain at the hospital or at a rehab facility for some time. Joan and Talyn stayed with him through the whole thing, which he was immeasurably grateful for.

When the doctor left, Thomas persuaded Joan and Talyn to help him with sending messages out. First, a call on speaker phone to his parents. They cried when he said hi, and so did he. Then, a group text and group video call to all his friends. Thomas was thankful he had an IV in his arm, otherwise he thought he’d been needing a whole gallon of water to make up for how much crying he did. Lastly, a short, short video for his fans, just to show that he was alive. When they had finished, Thomas lay back, exhausted but not eager to sleep. Joan and Talyn were tired but neither of them looked likely to leave. From the state of the bed next to Thomas, he suspected both had spent the night with him before.

“Hey guys?” He asked softly.

“Yeah?” Joan’s voice was sleepy but happy.  

“I love you both.”

“We love you too.” Talyn smiled, their eyes closed.

“Do you think you could stay awake for a story?” Thomas ventured. “I don’t want to sleep just yet.”

“Of course.” Talyn opened their eyes and Joan sat up a little. “What kind of story? Do you want us to tell you one?”

“No, no. I’m gonna tell the story.” Thomas smiled. “It’s actually from when I was in a coma. I had the weirdest dream.”

“There was this ancient land, and every person had a power.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Usually, I'm not a fan of using the "and it was all a dream" trope but hey there's a first for everything I guess. I hope you enjoyed reading Chessboard. This has been so much fun to write for me because of all the comments I've gotten along the way.  
> Anyway, now that Chessboard is over, I'm going to take a little break and next week I'll be uploading on here and on Tumblr a little ghost-hunting one off about the sides. After that, though, I'm starting up my next long Sanders Sides fic which will be called Within Bounds, so get ready for that cause it's shaping up to be really good.

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me on tumblr if you'd like! I'm @moonlightinwater  
> I've got a small groupchat with other fanders if you want in on that, too: <https://discord.gg/cXaD5CK>


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